ADEN — Yemen's prime minister on Monday flew back to the southern city of Aden under the terms of a peace deal with Southern Transition Council (STC).

The return from Riyadh of Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed and four other ministers, initially planned for last week but delayed for logistical reasons, follows the November deal with STC.

The STC and the government, which are allies in the fight against the Houthis, inked a power-sharing deal in Riyadh on Nov. 5 under Saudi mediation.

As well as heralding the government's return to Aden, it laid the foundation for forming a new 24-member Cabinet with equal representation for southerners, including the STC.

Yemen's President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has lived in Riyadh since Sanaa fell to the Houthis.

A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 as the Houthi rebels closed in on Aden.

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, has said the deal would "open a new period of stability in Yemen".

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said it was "important to the political efforts to achieve peace in the country".

Yemen's conflict has since 2015 killed tens of thousands of people and created a humanitarian crisis. — AFP