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A delegation of Yemeni rebels headed Sunday for U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva as their forces gained ground by seizing a provincial capital near the border with Saudi Arabia, The Daily Star reports, citing news agencies.

After repeatedly delaying their departure, the delegation left from capital Sanaa aboard a U.N. plane for the Swiss city, where the talks are due to start Monday, a day late.

The U.N. peace envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said in a statement that Monday would see the start of “preliminary inclusive consultations” bringing together the country’s warring factions for the first time. He appealed for participants to take part “in good faith and without pre-conditions, and in a climate of trust and mutual respect.”

Abdulmalik Agra, a member of the rebels’ political council, told AP that its group included a Houthi leader, Mehdi Mashat, official Ali Hamza al-Houthi, and three others – including men from the party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a rebel ally. They decided to attend the talks after the U.N. agreed to broaden the structure so they were not based solely on two warring sides. Members of the Socialist and Haqq parties were also joining.

A day earlier, a plane meant to carry the rebels and their allies to the talks left Yemen without the delegates on board, casting doubt on whether the meetings would go forward as planned.

The delegation representing the government of embattled President Abed Rabbou Mansour Hadi arrived in Geneva Saturday morning.

The rebels faced little resistance Sunday as they took control of Al-Hazm, the main city of Jawf province, residents and pro-government fighters said.