Timeline of conflict since 2011 uprising

SANAA: Timeline of the conflict in Yemen since a 2011 uprising that toppled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose former Houthi allies said Monday had been killed.

Inspired by regional uprisings in the Arab Spring, Yemenis take to the streets in early 2011 to demand the departure of Saleh, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1978.

November 2011: Saleh agrees in to hand over power in exchange for immunity from prosecution for him and his family, after 11 months of protests and deadly clashes.

February 2012: As Saleh steps down, a presidential election is held. Saleh’s deputy and only candidate Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, seen as a man of consensus, is sworn in days later. Efforts to draw up a new constitution for Yemen face difficulties and tensions intensify.

2014: Houthis launch an offensive and push toward Sanaa from their northern stronghold of Saada, aiming to expand a hoped-for autonomy within a future federation.

Sept. 21, 2014: Houthis storm the capital and seize the government headquarters, state radio and military sites after days of clashes. More than 270 people are killed. The rebels, backed by Iran, forge an alliance with forces loyal to Saleh.

January 2015: The rebels and their allies have also taken control of the presidential palace. Hadi flees to Yemen’s second city, Aden, which he later declares as the “provisional capital.”

March 26, 2015:

Nine regional countries in a Saudi-led Arab coalition launch operation “Decisive Storm” with airstrikes on the rebels to defend Hadi and his internationally recognized government. They claw back some territory but also have to deal with increasing attacks by terrorists allied to Al-Qaeda and Daesh.

2015 and 2016: The UN and US organize three rounds of fruitless peace talks. Seven truces are agreed, but all are broken.

Aug. 23, 2017: Splits emerge in the rebel camp, with the Houthis calling Saleh a “traitor” after he dismissed the Iran-backed group as a “militia” in a speech. The next day, hundreds of thousands of Yemenis attend a rally marking 35 years since the founding of Saleh’s General People’s Congress (GPC) in a major show of support. The tensions erupt into clashes between the allies in which a colonel loyal to Saleh and two rebels are killed.

Nov. 29: Violence erupts anew in Sanaa, killing and wounding dozens.

Dec. 2: Saleh reaches out to the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis, offering to “turn the page” if it lifts a crippling blockade on the country. The Houthis accuse him of staging a “coup against our alliance.”

Dec. 4: President Hadi orders his forces to retake control of Sanaa. The Houthicontrolled Interior Ministry announces the killing of Saleh, 75, as a video emerges showing what appears to be his body.