| Submit your comments on this article | ||
| Africa Horn | ||
| Army And Shiite Rebels Clash Again In North Yemen | ||
| 2005-11-29 | ||
| Sanaa, 29 Nov. (AKI) - After months of ceasefire, clashes have broken out again between Shiite rebels loyal to the late radical cleric and former MP Hussein al-Houthi and government security forces in the northern Yemeni province of Saada. Eight policemen died in the fighting, US-backed Radio Sawa reports. Hundreds died in clashes between the two sides last year in a three month uprising which ended with the announcement of al-Houthi's death in September 2004. Fighting broke out again earlier this year, but all went quiet a few months ago when the Yemeni government announced that it had put down the rebellion. In September, President Saleh announced an amnesty for al-Houthi's supporters and ordered the release of those who have been imprisoned.
Police have now significantly stepped up security at roadblocks and surrounded the province in search of those who killed the eight officers. The outbreak of violence comes after several sheikhs in the area went to the police in the last few days, asking them to arrest rebel militants who had been in al-Khafti for some time. At the beginning of November there were also reports that al-Houthi followers had killed 12 members of the security forces in an ambush in the town of Menah in the Saada province. Tribal sources said the gunmen opened fire on vehicles carrying the policemen, killing them instantly and claimed a relative of Maj. Gen. Yahya al-Omari, the governor of Saada, was among the dead. The Yemeni government confirmed the ambush had taken place, but gave no details of how many were killed. Al-Houthi's father, Badruddin, who is in his eighties, is said to have led the rebels since his son's death. The influential Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called the fighting a 'holy war' by the government against Yemen's minority Zaidi Shiite Muslims. Yemen's President Saleh however, says he is fighting a rebellion, but Amnesty International has pointed out that many innocent Yemenis are thought to have been killed, including children, as "security forces reportedly used heavy weaponry, including helicopter gunships," to attack civilian targets. Zaidi Shiites are thought to make up around a third of Yemen's approximately 20 million population, while moderate Shafi Sunnis make up the rest. | ||
| Posted by:Steve |