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Armed Shiite militiamen surrounded Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah at his Sanaa residence late tonight, hours after he escaped a shooting attack on his convoy, government spokesman Rajih Badi said.
Bahah was inside the Republican Palace at Tahrir Square in the capital, a building that he has resided in since he was appointed prime minister in October, Badi told AFP.
The heavily armed militiamen were surrounding all three entrances to the residence in the city centre, said Badi.
The spokesman called for "an urgent meeting" of all political forces in Yemen tomorrow morning in order to create a "roadmap" aimed at ending the violence.
Shiite militia, known as Huthis, fought deadly battles with the army in Yemen's capital earlier today before a ceasefire took hold, leaving at least nine people dead.
They also seized an army base near the presidential palace in Sanaa and took control of state media.
Tensions have been running high in Sanaa since the Huthis abducted President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi's chief of staff, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, in an apparent move to extract changes to a draft constitution that he is overseeing.
Hadi named him as prime minister in October, but he turned down the job following strong opposition from the Huthis and from Saleh's party.
Bahah replaced him, with the consent of the Huthis.
