Security authorities launch precautious detentions according to affiliation:War continues in three governorates [Archives:2008/1169/Front Page]
By: Mohammed Bin Sallam
SA'ADA, July 2) Reliable sources in Sa'ada said that confrontations between the Yemeni army and Houthis are still fierce in different districts in spite of the contradictory information reported by the two warring sides.
The sources said Houthis continue their abrupt attacks against military and security targets inside Sa'ada city despite the extensive existence of the military and security forces.
Last Sunday afternoon, Houthis attacked a General Security camp located to the south of Sa'ada city after they had attacked a camp belonging to the 15th Garrison with portable rockets on Saturday, the sources said.
“Attackers launched four shells believed to be mortars against the security camp injuring a lot of soldiers,” said the sources. The General Security residence is located within a complex that includes central security forces and police.
Later, a source close to Houthis confirmed the attack and said that the General Security head was inside the residence during the attack.
Regarding the situation in Harf Sufyan in the Amran governorate, tribal sources said that a public road linking Sana'a with Sa'ada governorate is still blocked, hindering the process of providing the government forces with supplies. Some citizens are allowed to move within their villages to get their needs in the area.
In Bani Hushaish, located to the southeast of Sana'a, local sources said that confrontations between the army and the tribesmen in the Shawkan region near Khawlan Al-Teyal and Sanhan, which is President Saleh's ancestral village, continued until Wednesday morning. The army posted on its affiliated website, www.26Sep.net, that it launched attacks on the area from five directions. Houthis said they resisted the attack.
Media sources said that security forces are conducting investigations with relatives of former officials in the government and leaders from the ruling party who are thought to be associated with the Houthis in Sa'ada. According to media reports, these officials were arrested during the last few weeks because they were found with ammunition and liaison devices on their person. Some of them were arrested while allegedly on their way to visit Houthis and their supporters in Sana'a city and areas in Sana'a, Amran, Hajja, Dhamar, Mahwit and Al-Jawf governorates.
Al-Ghad newspaper reported this week that military intelligence forces are conducting similar investigations within their own ranks to root out men affiliated with or who cooperated with Houthis. According to Al-Ghad, the security members have been providing the Houthi supporters with information related to military operations carried out by the government forces in Sa'ada governorate, regions of Harf Sufyan and Bani Hushaish.
The sources said that a number of the accused either offered information to Houthis or breached secrecy and caused failure in the arrest operations that were imminent against a number of important Houthi leaders by helping them to avoid those operations.
In addition, the military accused these men of leaking information that contributed to spoiling the military operations carried out by the army and security forces in Sa'ada, Harf Sufyan and Bani Hushaish against Houthi supporters and hindered the process of clearing these areas of Houthi control and securing the passage of military supplies.
Well-informed sources have already said that during the last few weeks that the different security apparatuses are imposing tightened check procedures in Sana'a and the other governorates and that they have arrested 600 people believed to be Houthi supporters.
Sana'a University sources said that anti-terrorism forces broke into one of the university's residence halls and arrested 16 students from Sa'ada governorate.
Eyewitnesses said that around 30 soldiers in four military vehicles broke into rooms in the C and D buildings in the university's charitable residence and arrested 16 students from Sa'ada and ostensibly took them to prison in Sana'a. Authorities didn't allow detained students to take their final exams except for three students who were allowed to take their tests after mediation with influential tribal sheikhs.
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