Yemen's slain ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh buried in closed funeral outside Sanaa by Huthi rebels

Sanaa: Yemen’s ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, slain this week by his former rebel allies, was buried on Saturday at his home village outside Sanaa, a relative close to the family said. A Huthi official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the burial had taken place. It was held under strictly controlled conditions. [caption id=“attachment_4241831” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Ali Abdullah Saleh. AP[/caption] The rebels, who over the past week have consolidated control of Sanaa, allowed Saleh’s son Madin and a nephew out of detention to attend the burial. Parliament speaker Yahya Ali Al-Rai — who belongs to the former president’s embattled General People’s Congress Party — and Huthi commander Ali Abu al-Hakim also attended. The Saleh relative said no more than 20 people attended the burial, under the strict watch of the Huthis. Just one week ago, the strongman ruptured three years of uneasy alliance with Iran-backed Huthis, offering to “turn the page” with foe Saudi Arabia in return for the lifting of a crippling blockade and a ceasefire. The move proved fatal for the former president, gunned down by the Huthis days later as their alliance unravelled. The rebels have since consolidated their control over the capital.