Intense artillery and gun battles near the presidential palace that have shaken the capital of Yemen since Monday morning appear to be ending after the interior minister announced a ceasefire had been agreed between the army and Houthi Shi’ite militia.

The state news agency said a meeting had been held between the two parties and that committees had been set up to monitor the truce.

The fighting is the worst since the Houthi rebels took control of the city in September, and follows the weekend kidnapping of the president’s chief of staff Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak.

The Houthi, around 30% of the Yemeni population, are demanding a greater say in the running of the country, and say the president has gone back on a promise to create a two-region state that would cement their power base.