Pro-government fighters gather next to a tank they use in the fighting against Houthi fighters in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen March 22, 2017.

Yemeni General People’s Congress Party leader Essam Shreim, along with 19 other leaders in the party defected from the pro-Saleh Yemeni militia in the city of Hudaydah.

According to the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, these leaders, who announced their concurrence to the legitimate government left Yemen and fled to unnamed Arab countries after allegedly receiving threats from the militias.

Shreim added that communication is underway with a number of other leaders within the party in Yemen. He said that other party members seek to clarify their stand before departure, and he called upon the legitimate government to embrace the leaders who want to defect.