Yemeni government did not officially participate in the battles between Houthi rebels and Salafi fighters since 2011. Instead, it has been working to send government representatives in attempt to mediate for a prolonged ceasefire in Dammaj since December 2013. On early January 2014, a team of presidential delegation under Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and committee headed by Sana'a mayor Abdulqader Hilal arrived at Sa'dah to reach for peace deal between fighters from both sides. Only by 12 January, a ceasefire agreement was finally signed between Houthi rebels and Sunni tribesmen which ended the conflict in Dammaj and most of northern governorates. As part of the ceasefire, Yemeni troops deployed to the town of Dammaj and evacuated all Salafi fighters and their families to the neighboring Al Hudaydah Governorate and Sana'a Governorate, thus handing over victory to the Houthis. Many Salafis however said they felt "cheated" over the agreement. Aftermath By January 2014, the sectarian conflict in Dammaj has left over 830 people killed, most of them from Salafi side. The Houthis did not release their own reports of casualties. Reactions Following the siege, the government of Indonesia tried to evacuate its citizens from the Dar al-Hadith institute where over 100 Indonesians were said to live. Yemen's Indonesian ambassador, Agus Budiman, said it was difficult for them to evacuate the students because most of them did not want to leave and were armed and "ready for jihad", adding that the government was "worried about their condition". They were eventually contacted with permission of Sheikh al-Hajoori and the Houthis said they would ensure the safety of their evacuation, although they did not allow embassy staff to enter the compound or take the bodies. Yemeni Salafi Islamists held a rally Sana'a on 30 November, led by Mohammad al-Ammari, to protest the siege. Ammari said that thousands of people were being besieged and deprived of food and medicines, accusing the Houthis of trying to create a Shi'a state in North Yemen. Salafi clerics at the rally warned the Houthis that they would be willing to deploy fighters to Dammaj. The Yemeni National Council (an opposition council established on 17 August 2011 to lead the revolution against Saleh) send a delegation led by Mussed Al-Radaee, general secretary of the Nasserite Party to Sa'dah. A similar delegation was sent by protesters from Sanaa's Change Square. Neither group has released their report yet. On 3 December, in a