(VOVworld)- Houthi rebel fighters have taken control of crucial installations in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, including the international airport, security officials said on Sunday. The attack, backed by loyalists of Yemen’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, took place just one day after Houthis called for a maximum effort against forces of current President Abdrabu Mansour Hadi.  In a televised address after escaping a Houthi siege, President Hadi asked the Houthi rebels to leave Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, and end their occupation of government offices. He pledged to regain control of the autonomous region of Saadeh, the Houthi’s stronghold, and called on other factions in Yemen to participate in the peace negotiation scheduled to take place in the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.