Saudi-led military ops in Yemen 'coming to close'

Saudi-led military operations in Yemen are nearing their end as the focus turns to political talks, Britain's foreign minister said in Riyadh on Wednesday.

"We detect the military phase of this campaign is coming to a close as the coalition forces have established a dominant military position in the country," Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told reporters after talks with King Salman and other leading members of the royal family.

He said they focused on the need "for now accelerating the political discussion" and ensuring the Yemeni Huthi rebels and their allies join negotiations for "serious and sensible" talks.

The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, on Friday told the Security Council that the Huthis and backers of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh had "clearly committed" to carrying out Resolution 2216.

The resolution calls for a negotiated withdrawal by the rebels from Yemen's key cities and a surrender of all heavy weapons to the state.

The UN envoy said the Yemeni government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi had agreed to send a delegation to the forthcoming negotiations, for which no date has been set.