Continuous Confrontations Between Al-Houthi Rebels and Saudi Forces Kill Dozens

By Nasser Arrabyee

Yemen Observer, Nov 5, 2009 - 12:58:27 PM

At least 5 Saudi soldiers and 15 al-Houthi rebels were killed  in fierce confrontations between the rebels and Saudi forces in al-Khuba and Jabal al-Dukhan in Jaizan area south of the Kingdom, local sources said Thursday.

The leader of the rebels Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a statement Thursday that the Saudi army is bombarding his fighters' posts in al-Malahaid frontline far west of Sa'adah,  "with all kinds of weapons."

"The Saudi fighters bomb al-Malahaid area, Jabal al-Mamdood, al-Husama and al-Mujda'a with phosphoric bombs," said al-Houthi in a statement sent through emails Thursday.

About 11 schools in the Saudi area of Jaizan were evacuated from students according to press reports. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the rebel leader said that Saudi forces killed one of his fighters and injured another before his fighters attacked and controlled the Saudi post of Jabal al-Dukhan killing  an officer, and injuring 11 soldiers.

 The Saudi officials confirmed that al-Houthi rebels killed a Saudi officer and injured 11 soldiers in Jabal al-Dukhan in Jaizan area south of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Houthi said in a statement sent through emails Wednesday that his fighters had controlled Jabal al-Dukhan earlier last October, but then they madea secret deal with the Saudi guards to leave it.

"We withdrew from it on condition that the Saudi forces should not allow the Yemeni army to attack us from this mountain."

However, earlier this week, the Saudi forces allowed the Yemeni army to attack us from it. So we attacked and controlled it fully," al-Houthi said in the statement.

Meanwhile, three field leaders of al-Houthi rebels were killed in the current confrontations in the old city of Sa'adah and the areas around it where the troops seem to be determined to clean these areas from the rebels.  The three leaders were identified by the security forces in Sa'adah as Hussein al-Sheikh, Abdullah al-Dhufari, and Hussein Kass.

A total of 217 al-Houthi-linked men were arrested during the month of October in Hajja, al-Jawf, Marib and Sana'a in 122 hunt down operations, said the Ministry of Interior in a statement Thursday.

More than 30 Lorries and cars laden with supply materials for the rebels were seized during the same period. About 90 % of those arrested were working in the favor of the armed rebellion according to the investigations, the ministry said. 

Yemen's military air strikes kill 35 rebels

By Nasser Arrabyee

Yemen Observer, Oct 30, 2009 - 8:58:14 PM

At least 35 rebels were killed and 25 injured in air strikes on al-Nazeer area in Razeh, west of Sa'adah where al-Houthi rebels failed to open a new front, local sources said Friday.

The air strikes continued almost all the day of Thursday forcing the rebels to leave their posts in Razeh and get back to al-Malahaid, the sources said. The spokesman of al-Houthi rebels, Mohammed Abdul Salam, confirmed the air strikes saying it was a "massacre against civilians".

A number of hideouts of the rebels were destroyed Thursday by air strikes in the three frontlines of the areas around Sa'adah city, Harf Sufyan, and al-Malahaid, said the Defense Ministry. The air strikes inflicted heavy damages in lives and materials on the rebels, the statement said.

At least 10 rebels were killed and 20 others were arrested only in the areas around the city of Sa'adah city, according to military sources in these areas. A 10-year old boy working with the rebels was arrested Thursday at the gate of old city of Sa'adah with 20 mine detonators wrapped on his waist, the sources said.

A total of 13 people from one family were injured in Hashish area when al-Houthi rebels fired mortars on the house of Mohammed Bakri Hashish for refusing to fight with the rebels, said local sources.

The rebels also fired mortars on the refugee camp of Sam in the outskirts of Sa'adah city injuring two refugees at least.