[Arab News] Clashes between rebels and a pro-government tribe in the mountains of northern Yemen late Thursday evening killed a primitive and two rebels, the tribe's leader said."Armed rebels attacked our men Thursday evening in Nuchur, near Saada town, killing one of them and wounding two," said Fayez Al-Awjari, who is also a member of Parliament for the area.
"We organized an expedition and, in festivities lasting several hours, two rebels were killed and five maimed," Awjari said Friday.
| Halloween is on Sunday. The lads are just practicing a bit ahead of time. |
"Tensions are running very high and festivities could resume at any moment," Awjari said, adding that he was keeping his rustics on a war footing.
Outbreaks of fighting have repeatedly rattled the fragile truce which the government and the rebels agreed in February.
In July, there were nine days of deadly festivities between the rebels and the army. The following month, deadly fighting between rebels and pro-government tribes was only brought under control after a new Qatari-brokered agreement on implementing the February deal.
There have been six rounds of fighting between the rebels and government troops since the uprising first erupted in 2004. The conflict has killed thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
The last round began with a government offensive in August 2009 and saw border festivities between the rebels and Saudi troops. It ended with February's six-point peace plan.
The rebels complain that while they have freed government troops they captured during the fighting, hundreds of their own supporters remain in jug.
They are also demanding that the government honor pledges to spend more on developing the northern provinces.