SANAA: The leader of the Shiite rebels in north Yemen said on Saturday in a message released on the Internet that he will accept the government's conditions to end the war if attacks against them cease.

"I announce our acceptance of the (government's) five points, after the aggression stops," Abdel Malak al-Huthi said in an audio message released on the Internet. "The ball is now in the other party's court."

Among Sanaa's demands are the withdrawal of rebels from official buildings, the reopening of roads in the north, the return of weapons seized from security services and the release of all military and civilian prisoners.

The Zaidi rebels, also known as Huthis, have been engaged in sporadic fighting with government forces since 2004.

The latest round broke out on August 11, when the military launched "Operation Scorched Earth," an all-out assault against the rebels.

According to international aid organisations, more than 150,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since 2004.