Sanaa, Feb 21 (IANS): Yemen's former president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi left his home in capital Sanaa early Saturday after weeks of house arrest imposed by the Shia Houthi militants since late January when they seized control of the capital, officials said.

"Hadi is on his way to his home town in the southern port city of Aden," an official of the Southern Hirak movement told Xinhua news agency.

Hadi took power in 2012, but submitted his resignation to parliament Jan 22 amid a standoff with the Houthi group.

On Feb 6, the Houthi group announced a unilateral move to dissolve the parliament of Yemen and form a presidential council to take over power, which was rejected by Yemen's political parties and denounced by the Gulf Arab states.

The security situation deteriorated in Yemen since January when the Shia Houthi group seized the presidential palace in Sanaa after deadly clashes with presidential guards, leading to the twin resignations of Hadi and prime minister Khaled Bahah.

The Shia Houthi group, also known as Ansarullah and based in the far northern province of Saada, has been expanding its influence southward after signing a UN-sponsored peace and power-sharing deal Sep 21, 2014, following weeks-long deadly clashes.