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| Arabia |
| Yemeni forces fight it out with Houthis |
| 2010-01-02 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Yemeni forces clashed with Shiite rebels, killing 11 in a country where Washington and Riyadh fear al-Qaeda may be gaining a stronger foothold, and Yemen's president reiterated a call to rebels to end the violence. "Eleven terrorists were killed and others were wounded in widespread combing operations and strikes by military and security units on Thursday against gatherings of Houthi terrorists in a number of areas," a government source told Reuters on Friday. The 26 September news website, quoting an unnamed source, said Yemeni forces had destroyed a "terrorist den" in the northern Saada region on Thursday. Thursday's strikes destroyed a group of rebel vehicles near the town of Saada, and flames were seen rising from the area, the website said. A car carrying ammunition was destroyed. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in a New Year message published in a government newspaper, called on northern rebels and southern separatists to abandon violence and urged anyone tempted by al-Qaeda to reconsider. "The time has come to lay down your weapons, to steer clear of the violence and the terror and evil acts so as to save your souls and be good citizens in your society," Saleh wrote in al-Thawra. He also called again on northern rebels to accept a ceasefire, release prisoners, return stolen civilian and military materials and agree to stop attacks on Saudi territory. |
| Posted by:Fred |