Yemeni elder statesman Muhammad al-Mutawakil assassinated in Sanaa

Muhammad al-Mutawakil, a widely respected Yemeni intellectual who had been at the centre of political life in the country for decades, was assassinated in the capital on Sunday.

The 72-year-old, the head of the liberal Union of Popular Forces party, was regarded as a moderate and conciliatory figure in the unstable Middle Eastern country. He was shot dead as he walked near Sanaa University in the centre of the city.

His daughter Radhia told AFP that he was "fatally shot in the neck" by a gunman on a motorbike who fled the scene.

A medical source confirmed the death.

The assassination has been widely condemned in Yemen amid an outpouring of grief for a widely popular public figure, and the repercussions it may have for the country.

"They think that I'm crying for my father, but I am crying for my nation," Mutawakil's daughter, Gabool, said in a post that was widely shared on social media.

Assassinations of political and security figures have become common since 2011, and large parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa, are under the de facto control of the Houthi rebel movement.

The Houthis, a predominantly Zaydi

They think that I'm crying for my father, but I am crying for my nation. - Gabool al-Mutawakil

 Shia movement, are now taking on largely Sunni tribesmen in central Yemen, as well as al-Qaeda, which is trying to portray the Houthi takeover of Sanaa as a threat to Yemen's majority Sunni population.

Tragedy

Mourners have held vigils in Sanaa, with many attendees holding the day's newspapers, which carry Mutawakil's picture on their front covers.

Al-Oula, a popular daily, printed one word on their front page: 'Tragedy'.

"Yemen has lost a voice that called for dialogue, a civil state, and rationality," the Union of Popular Forces (UPF) said in a statement released after Mutawakil's death.

The UPF is part of the Joint Meeting Parties coalition, which echoed the sentiments expressed by many.

"The return of political assassinations... is a warning sign, and the forces of violence and terror that are behind the killing should not be allowed to escape punishment," the JMP said.

For their part, the Houthis said that "the revolution" would not remain passive should the government not be able to provide "security and stability" to the country.