Government retaliates following the attack against Deputy Chief of Staff Brigadier in Jawf VENGEANCE [Archives:2002/28/Front Page]

Yemen army deputy chief of staff brigadier Ali Mohammed Salah, was wounded in his shoulder when his helicopter came under fire last Thursday while flying over al-Marfadh village, al-Zahir district in the Jawf region, 180 km from Sanaa. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at the government compound of the Jawf governorate.
In retaliation to that, troopers from the military forces stationed in the Jawf region supported by artillery units from the Republican Guard shelled the Marfadh village where culprits were believed to be hiding. No injuries have been reported yet.
Tribal sources said that sheikhs of Dhuhin and al-Asharef belonging to Marfadh village have given in a number of their sons as hostages to the authorities until perpetrators are found, however officials refused this proposal.
Sheikhs of Jawf seek to broker a deal to stop military operations that may lead to an all-out war in the region.
The area presently enjoys a relative calmness after the halt of artillery shelling that lasted for three hours.
A tribal sheikh of Jawf denied any link between the detention of MP sheikh al-Ukaimi at the military prison in Sanaa two weeks ago and the attack on the helicopter.


——
[archive-e:28-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-07-08-p:./2002/iss28/front.htm]