Sanaa , Yemen ( CNN ) Rebels seized an international airport in Yemen Sunday as a U.N. envoy warned that the country was at `` the edge of civil war . '' Houthi militants took over the airport in Taiz as they swept through the city and surrounding province , two officials with the Taiz provincial government said . One civilian was killed and 82 others wounded when the rebels fired at local residents protesting their presence , the officials said . The rebels have also seized security and intelligence buildings in Taiz and set up checkpoints in the area , the officials said . Taiz , about 390 kilometers ( 240 miles ) south of Sanaa , is Yemen 's cultural capital . The rebels -- Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country -- surrounded the presidential palace in January . Yemen 's President and his Cabinet resigned days later . Ousted President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi says his resignation was n't valid and maintains that he remains the country 's leader . In a statement Sunday , the United Nations Security Council backed Hadi , calling for all sides to end armed hostilities and work out differences at the negotiating table . `` Peaceful dialogue is the only way forward , '' said Jamal Benomar , the U.N. 's special adviser on Yemen . But he gave a dire assessment of the current situation , saying the country is in a `` rapid downward spiral '' and at `` the edge of civil war . '' This is n't the first time the U.N. Security Council has weighed in on the mounting tensions . Last month the council slammed the rebels for taking over democratic institutions and holding officials under house arrest . But so far , it seems calls for calm from around the world have done little to quell the violence . Last week , a Yemeni jet commanded by the Houthi fired missiles at a palace housing Hadi in the port city of Aden . No one was injured , but the direct strike marked an escalation in the deadly fighting between the two sides . That same day , Yemeni military forces -- some under the Houthis , others led by officers loyal to Hadi -- battled in Aden , leaving at least 13 people dead in the clashes , Aden Gov . AbdulAziz Hobtour said . There are growing concerns that terror groups such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS could take advantage of the chaos to mount attacks and spread their reach . Bombings at two mosques in Sanaa last week killed at least 137 people and wounded hundreds more . ISIS claimed responsibility in a statement posted on a site that has published previous statements from the group . On Saturday the State Department said the U.S. military had pulled its remaining personnel out of Yemen due to the deteriorating security situation . Journalist Hakim Almasmari reported from Sanaa , CNN 's Catherine E. Shoichet reported from Atlanta and CNN 's Richard Roth reported from the United Nations . CNN 's Anas Hamdan , Greg Botelho , Hamdi Alkhshali , Ed Payne and Laura Koran contributed to this report .
The U.N. Security Council backs Yemen 's embattled President . It is the first time since 2011 that a country has been targeted by U.S. drone strikes in its own territory.