Yemeni rebel ally Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday he was open to talks with the Saudi-led coalition battling on the side of government, following deadly insurgent infighting in the capital.

"I call on our brothers in neighbouring countries ... to stop their aggression and lift the blockade ... and we will turn the page," the former president said in a televised speech.

The coalition, which has fought Saleh and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels since 2015, imposed a total blockade on the impoverished country last month after a rebel missile was shot down near Riyadh.

Source: AFP