Yemen's interior minister said on Saturday that 86 supporters of an anti-U.S. rebel cleric and 32 government forces have been killed in nearly two weeks of clashes in the mountainous north of the Arab state. Rshad al-Alimi also told parliament 331 supporters of Hussein al-Houthi had been arrested, most of them before military action against the group began on June 20 in Saada province, 240 km (150 miles) north of the capital Sanaa. "Houthi refused all mediation efforts by parliamentarians, Muslim scholars and government officials to surrender peacefully," the minister said, adding that a siege continued. He said 21 rebels and 120 government security and military forces had been injured in the clashes. The government accused Houthi, a leader of the Zaidi Shi'ite sect, of setting up unlicensed religious centres in Saada and other provinces and forming what it described as an underground armed group called the "Believing Youth", which has staged violent protests against the United States and Israel. "Each member of this group receives $200 a month which indicates they may have foreign support," Alimi said but did not elaborate.
| Since they are a Shite group, that means Iran |
On Tuesday, Yemeni forces killed Zaid bin Ali al-Houthi, deputy commander of "Believing Youth". A government-owned newspaper said on Friday Houthi's brother had also been killed in the clashes.
| The al-Houthi clan is getting smaller |
Sources close to Houthi have put the death toll from the clashes, which began on June 20, at about 200. Anti-U.S. sentiment is high in the region over the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some clerics in Yemen preach hatred against America and the West. The poor country of 19 million people is also fighting to root out militants linked to Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group. Houthi has not been accused of links to al Qaeda.
The government said last Tuesday it would close unlicensed schools and reform its education system to combat extremism. |