Fighting against Al-Houthi supporters continues [Archives:2004/764/Front Page]

Mohammed bin Sallam
Despite the announcement by Major General Ali Mohammed Salah, Deputy Staff General, on last Thursday – 12th August 2004 that the Yemeni forces have tightened the noose on Shiekh Hussain Badr-el-Din and his followers in the hilly areas where they are fortifying themselves, some other information from Saadah Governorate assures that the confrontations between the army and al-Houthy's supporters continue in more than one area. And this information indicates that the army's artillery fire at Nushoor and Al Shafeah areas, and the villages close to them, has not stopped at the time of writing this news, Saturday – 14th August. These sources add that Dhahyan , Al al-Sayfi and Bani Muath & Walad Masood areas are witnessing random chases and arrests, leading people to escape to the surrounding hills, besides, other random arrests targeting those sympathizing with the Shiekh Al-Houthy in Sanaa, Hajjah, Sharafyn, and Haraz towns, in addition to some other Yemeni areas.
In the same area, the Yemeni News Agency “Sabaa” quoted last Thursday, as stated by the Deputy Staff General of the Military Operations affairs, Major General Ali Muhammad Salah, that Hussain Badr-el-Din and those who remained with him are living their last breaths, after having been noose-tightened in Mran hills chains.
The Major General Salah added that Al-Houthy and a group of his followers are split up in some of the houses in Al-Jaleel, Al-Jumaimah, and Al-Khureb areas in an attempt to hide themselves.
The Military and Security men are currently following up and chasing that group in the places they are hiding themselves.
To that, a statement on the Internet in both the languages has been addressed in the following manner:
“In name of Saadah men we address the humanitarian organizations and associations and those of consciences and the Worlds Free men to relieve them and cease this wild war which the Governmental authority is practicing against them in addition to the villager militias, the Arabs and the Yemeni Afghanistanis”.
The statement mentioned that the mediation tribunal failed due to directions by influentials to block the paths before the good people of the country men, and added , “that the war events and those falling, killed men, and the wounded people are still going on and the dead bodies have not yet been collected; these bodies are causing sickness and diseases,” The statement warned that the world's silence at the Saadah events foreshadows massacres. They appealed for relief and duty of humanity and fraternity towards children, women and old men.
“The state's forces could have defeated Al-Houthi and his followers, and settled the crisis within one week,” said one resident from Saadah in a telephone conversation with the Yemen Times on August 14th.
“There are however some military leaders who do not want to put an end to this problem and stop battles quickly, because they would be deprived of millions of Riyals given daily to sustain the military operations. The continuity of military attacks will ensure they get a continuous flow of money and they do not care about killing people, as long as they keep themselves away from the battlefield. They also do not care about the increasing burden on the national economy and destabilizing the country,” added the man.
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