The Sa’ada War Resumes, Round Six
Well I’m back and apparently the Sa’ada War resumed with intensity and spread to new areas. The week in review:
Truce
Sanaa, Asharq Al-Awsat – The sources revealed that this agreement stipulates a ceasefire between the two parties on all fronts, including in the border region with Saudi Arabia, and that talk will resume between the two parties following the holy month of Ramadan [due to begin 21 August].The source revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the mediation committee in the Saada region which is headed by a well known Yemeni arms dealer was able to reach this agreement without discussing the fate of the military sites that the Houthi rebels had captured during the past few weeks. This agreement was also concluded without overtly discussing thorny and controversial issues such as the soldiers held prisoner by the Houthi rebels, as well as the Houthi rebels being detained by the Yemeni authorities. The Houthis have been calling for the release of all of their supporters who were arrested since the beginning of the First War in the summer of 2004.
Houthi rebel spokesman Mohamed Abdel Salam confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that a truce had been concluded, and that this agreement includes a number of points such as; implementing a ceasefire, allowing freedom of travel on the roads, allowing the return of local authorities in order to provide services to the citizens, as well as the drawing up of military lines by both sides. Negotiations with regards to the Houthi detainees as well as the soldiers and officers held prisoner by the rebels are to take place following this.
Abdel Salam also indicated his surprise that [government] military operations were still taking place in the Maran region, rejecting the implementation of this agreement. Salam said that not only did the bombardment of the region continue after the agreement had been made, but that this had intensified….
It is worth mentioning that many of the war-torn regions in Yemen witnessed calm on Monday following the conclusion of this truce. At the same time there were attempts to remove the Houthi rebels from the area of Amran that they have recently gained control of and which neighbors the Yemeni capital of Sana.
Truce Collapses
Sanaa, Asharq Al-Awsat – The truce between the Shiite Houthi rebels and the Yemeni authorities collapsed yesterday less than 24 hours after it had been signed, with clashes erupting between the two parties on more than one front. The Houthi rebels have accused the government of escalation in an attempt to incite a new war in the Saada province.
Several hours after Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued a warning to the Houthi rebels accusing them of continuing to commit violations, the Yemeni authorities stepped up their bombardment of many regions including; Dayhan, Kahlan, Al-Saifi, Souk Al Anad, Al-Khafji, and many others regions in Al-Sahar. Attacks also took place against the Al-Mujaz region. There is no information with regards to the fighting in the region along the border with Saudi Arabia, although Yemeni forces have been attempting to wrestle control of this region away from the Houthi rebels.
Eye witnesses also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the heaviest bombardment targeted the city of Dayhan, the provincial capital of Saada, and that this has resulted in high human and material losses in the region. However these reports are unsubstantiated due to the intensity of the shelling..
US Concerns
Al Sahwa et- An official of the U.S. State Department expressed concern over clashes in Saada , calling the Yemeni government and al-Houthi rebels to return to the Qatari-mediated agreement signed in 2007.
” We hope that all sides commit to the protection of civilians” he said to al-Sharq al-Awsat newspapers.
At least 80 Houthi rebels and soldiers were left killed and injured in Saada province since the renewal of military strikes against rebels on Tuesday.
Bombing the civilians in order to save them…
SANAA — The Yemeni army said Saturday, the fifth day of its latest offensive against Shiite rebels, that its aim was to “save” civilians from the insurgents. The military also denied claims by the Zaidi rebels that it was using white phosphorous munitions in its campaign.
A spokesman said on the website of the defence ministry newspaper September 26 that the objective of the operation in the mountainous northern province of Saada is to “protect citizens and their property from the aggression, pillage and destruction carried out by criminal elements.”
He gave no details on any operations on Saturday, a day after at least two soldiers and 16 rebels were reported killed.
The rebels have accused government forces of killing dozens of civilians in bombardments and of using white phosphorous, which international law bans for use against non-combatants because it causes severe burns. “The government does not possess phosphorous weapons,” the spokesman said in response.
Bombing and fighting in cities
Yemen Post Local sources from Sa’ada revealed that sixty five people were killed in clashes between the two warring sides in various parts of Sa’ada including 40 people dead in clashes in the area of Dhyan. It also stated that sixty people were injured in the Al-Salim’s district.
The same sources pointed out that army forces and fighter aircrafts launched a massive attack on Houthi’s centers in the regions close to Sa’ada airport. The region of Matarah, which is the main stronghold of Houthis, was attacked as well…
Houthi’s spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam said army forces and fighter aircrafts’ massive attack, which started late Tuesday, intensified early Wednesday in Haydan’s region. He said some missiles fell in residential areas, killing civilians, and destroying homes….
According to official sources, the five-year sporadic battles have claimed the lives of more than 1000 government forces and wounded more than 6,000.
It is said that thousands of civilians and Houthi’s followers died in the same period, but the real number is unspecified.
16 Red Cresent aid workers kidnapped and a variety of government allegations relating to Houthi imposition of specific religous norms on residents.
Yemen Post Yemeni Authorities, which began a military campaign against Houthi’s followers in Sa’ada governorate, accused them of killing more than 20 civilians, implementing more than eight kidnapping attempts targeting 500 people along with abducting 15 Red Crescent workers, including nurses and doctors, official sources said.
Houthi’s followers carried out similar kidnapping attempts on 200 people with their families last year, the same sources said, adding that Houthi followers took control of mosques and schools, banned the teaching of the Biography of Prophet Mohammed, and forced people to participate in Al-Ghadir gala, which is celebrated by Shiite.
For his part, Sa’ada governor, Hassan Manaa accused Houthi’s rebels of kidnapping 15 Red Crescent staff from a camp in Sa’ada for people displaced by the fighting.
He said that 17,000 families fled their homes over four days of clashes last week, adding that Houthi rebels killed four leaders of the Al-Azl tribe and 15 other civilians, including women and children.
Houthi followers denied holding any kidnapped civilians and rejected the ceasefire offer, officials said, adding that Houthi followers wish to restore a form of Imamate rule rampant in Yemen until the 1960s.
According to the same sources, as citizens broadcasted songs over loudspeakers in wedding ceremonies, Houthi followers assaulted them. “Houthi’s expelled 400 students from schools,” the sources added…
