Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi movement, delivers a speech on a screen to followers during a rally commemorating the death of Imam Zaid bin Ali in Sanaa, Yemen October 26, 2016.

:: Houthi militias have accused ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, their original ally in the coup against legitimacy in Yemen, of treason.

A statement by the Houthis said that Saleh has to bear the consequences after he referred them in a speech as “militias.”

Fears over an outbreak of violence in Sanaa are increasing as Saleh supporters announced plans to demonstrate on Thursday to mark the 35-year anniversary of the founding of his party, the General People’s Congress.

Crossing the line

A statement from the Houthis on Wednesday described Saleh’s remarks as “crossing the line … and he [Saleh] must therefore bear the consequences of what he said, for he’s the one who initiated hostility.”

Tensions have been lingering in the air in the Yemeni capital which is under Houthi control.

The Houthis have considered Saleh’s “militia” reference as a “stab in the back and a true form of treason.” They have also referred to Saleh as the “ousted” president for the first time since the start of the coup.