War continues, citizens’ situation worsens [Archives:2007/1032/Front Page]
SA'ADA, March 11 ) Tribal sources revealed on Sunday that the situation for citizens in Sa'ada is the worst since the crisis between authorities and Houthi loyalists flared up in June 2004. Most citizens living in districts and remote areas outside the governorate's capital experience great difficulties in accessing necessary foodstuff and medicine.
The source added that government forces are besieging all turbulent areas, including those places where tribes live alongside Houthis, and they now suffer critical food and medicine shortages.
Meanwhile, fierce confrontations are ongoing in various areas, particularly in Matarah, where two Russian-made Mig-29 fighters crashed, but the pilots survived. Saba News Agency quoted a military source who confirmed, “The two fighters crashed Wednesday afternoon while conducting exercises over Sa'ada.”
Further, the Yemeni army is mobilizing additional forces to reinforce those already in Sa'ada as confrontations continue in Bani Mua'ath and Sahar district's Al-Abqur area, a place doubted to accommodate Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, who is leading the battle against the Yemeni army. Sources didn't mention the number of casualties on both sides due to the Yemeni government's imposed media blackout.
Local sources in Sa'ada said last Thursday that Maj. Mahmoud Bishr, chief of Haydan's security strip, died at Sana'a Military Hospital following injuries he sustained in the middle of last week. They mentioned that Bishr and his escorts managed to eliminate a Houthi site after fierce confrontations with them; however, one Houthi fighter shot him and killed his brother and one of his escorts.
Eleven unidentified bodies still are being held at Sa'ada's Al-Salam Hospital and six others at Al-Jumhury Hospital. Sources point out that the bodies belong to underage individuals and it's unclear to which party they belong.
In related news, military and security checkpoints were introduced at major city entrances and main streets to search for suspects regarding various issues and those linked to Houthis.
Some travelers told media outlets that security and armed forces have increased their numbers at highway checkpoints and are intensively checking cars and buses. Further, they are requesting identity cards and asking about travel destinations.
Last Thursday, Aden press web site published a statement signed by several Yemeni expatriates in the United States, wherein they denounced the ongoing war in Sa'ada and called for alleviating the injustices upon its citizens.
Likewise, Yemeni Armed Forces organ September.net published a statement in the name of a Yemeni community in eastern Saudi Arabia, in which they announced their siding with government forces and political leaders against Houthis, whom they called a stray terrorist faction. They further called on all Yemenis to help eliminate them and their followers.
For his part, Shi'ite leader and scholar Issam Al-Emad, who now lives in Qum, Iran and is considered by Iran to be the head of the Shi'ite Council in Yemen, criticized a fatwa issued by scholar Mohammed bin Ismail Al-Amrani last week urging President Ali Abdullah Saleh to eradicate Houthis.
In a letter to Al-Amrani, he stated, “I read your fatwa calling for killing Zaidis in Sa'ada, although you know Allah forbids killing a soul without right justification. You know that the U.S. ambassador to Yemen asked President Saleh to continue killing Sa'ada Zaidis, promising to provide him military and logistical support. You know, dear scholar, that the U.S. aims to shed Muslims' blood, regardless of their doctrines and sects, whether Shi'ites, Sunnis or Sulfis. The blood, honor and belongings of those who witness that there is no God but Allah aren't protected under U.S. policy.”
It continued, “People expressed surprise at your fatwa, which allows killing destitute and wronged Muslims in Sa'ada. Dear scholar, the Sa'ada issue can't be resolved by a fatwa, which will turn the issue from bad to worse. This fatwa has made you a partner in killing the deprived residents of Sa'ada. Is it right, when you have this rank in jurisprudence, that you should give the regime the justification to kill Sa'ada citizens? I don't know what you'll reply in the hereafter or what you'll do there.”
Concluding his letter, Al-Emad called on Al-Amrani to withdraw his fatwa and forsake his mistake.
In a statement published by Aleshteraki.net, a group of Yemeni opposition activists called for abandoning the war in Sa'ada, declaring that it is of no interest to continue. They believe that continuing the war will lead to adverse consequences, including tearing national unity, draining scarce resources and incurring further burdens, together with harming Yemen's reputation.
Summing up their statement, the activists requested an immediate cease-fire, serious treatment of the war's consequences, a prohibition of similar civil wars and firming up national peace to enable Yemen to achieve sustainable development and combat poverty and unemployment.
They also noted that the Yemeni authorities should know that this is the information age, thus, it's impossible to block out what's happening in Sa'ada.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi visited Iran last week for a ministerial meeting of the league of nations overlooking the Indian Ocean. He also conveyed two letters from President Saleh to the supreme leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad addressing bilateral relations between both nations and clarifications regarding the events in Sa'ada.
Upon his return on Friday, Al-Qirbi noted that Iran rejected any intervention in Yemen's national affairs.
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