Editor’s Note:
Saudi Arabia launched strikes last week against rebels in the border area with Yemen in the southwest part of the Kingdom in response to an incident where armed Houthi rebels fired on Saudi border guards. The rebels have been fighting sporadic battles against Yemeni government troops over the past five years, but the conflict has intensified since August. Saudi Arabia’s engagement of the Houthi rebels is complicated by charges by the Yemeni government that the rebels are backed by Iran, a warning by Iran’s foreign minister against foreign intervention in the rebel battle, and underlying tensions between Tehran and Riyadh.
The counterattacks have continued into this week as reported by VOA in an article provided here for your consideration. Additional reporting is provided in video news items through the links provided below.
Saudi Arabia Says Troops Take Back Land From Yemeni Rebels
VOA
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry says its forces have regained control of a mountain on the border with Yemen.
Assistant Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan told the Saudi Press Agency Sunday that the situation is calm at Mount Dokhan, after Saudi forces bombarded Shi’ite rebels based in Yemen for a fifth consecutive day.
He said three Saudi soldiers were killed and four others are missing after days of fighting on the country’s southeastern border.
The Saudi government says it is attacking rebels who have infiltrated its territory, but residents along the border say the military action has reached into northern Yemen.
Meanwhile, Yemen has reported that one of its fighter planes went down in a rebel stronghold in the country’s north. The government says the plane crashed due to “mechanical problems,” while rebels say they shot down the aircraft.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh made no mention of Saudi Arabia when he addressed the fighting Saturday.
In a speech inaugurating Yemen’s first gas plant, he called the Zaidi rebels “traitors” and said the battle against them would not stop until they are wiped out.
The Shi’ite Zaidi rebels have been in conflict with Yemen’s government for five years, but the fighting has flared significantly in the past few months. The rebels, also known as al-Houthis, say the central government is not taking care of their communities’ needs.
Reprinted with permission of VOA
Related Videos:
- Saudi concern over Yemen’s Houthis – Al Jazeera via YouTube.com – Houthi fighters in Yemen say they’ve taken control of more territory on the border, a claim that has worried neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The claim comes after the Saudis said they had regained control of another area seized by the rebels last week. Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.
- Leading cleric blames Iran for Yemen conflict – 05 Oct 09 – Al Jazeera via Youtube.com – Yemen’s most influencial cleric has accused Iran of fuelling the country’s bitter civil conflict. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, he claims Iran is backing a rebel uprising in the country’s north. Shia fighters and the army are engaged in fierce fighting that’s dividing popular opinion in the country. From the Yemeni capital Sana’a, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reports.
- Yemen rebels accuse government of breaking truce – 22 Sep 09 – Al Jazeera via Youtube.com – Rebel Houthi fighters in northern Yemen have accused the government of breaking the latest ceasefire, saying there has been no sign of any let up in violence around the city of Saada. But Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, said the rebels, who are mostly from the Shia Zaydi sect, had ignored the ceasefire offer and accused them of killing civilians and using “human shields”. This comes after the government claimed it had killed more than 140 fighters who had attacked its regional headquarters. Fighting between the rebels and government forces have flared since the army launched its latest operation in August in Saada and Amran provinces. The government says the rebels want to restore a Shia state that fell in the 1960s and accuse Shia power Iran of maintaining contacts with them. The rebels say they want autonomy and accuse Saleh, who is himself a Shia Zaydi, of despotism and corruption in a drive to stay in power, as well as introducing Sunni fundamentalism via his alliance with Saudi Arabia. Imran Khan reports.
- Yemen’s president says Iran supports Houthis – 9 Sept 09 – Al Jazeera via Youtube.com – Yemeni government forces have been fighting Houthi loyalists in the country’s north for weeks, vowing to crush them with an “iron fist”. Ali Abdallah Saleh, the president, now speaks exclusively to Al Jazeera, saying the recent lull in fighting was not a truce and blaming Iran for supporting the rebels. He says the military operations were halted only to allow aid agencies into the area where civilians are caught between the two sides. Tarek Bazley reports on the conflict which some fear could develop into a regional war.
- North Yemen locals weary after years of war – 07 Sept 09 – Despite the latest attempts at a ceasefire, there is still sporadic fighting in northern Yemen. Failure to stop the five year long war will increase fears of further destabilisation across the region. The Yemeni government claim Shia Muslim Huthi rebels are being backed by Iran. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia’s worried that Yemen is the main recruiting ground for Al Qaeda. Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra has the latest from the Yemeni capital Sana’aa.
- Inside Story – Doubts over Yemen’s future – Sep 7 2009 – The five-year long fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters in the north of Yemen has cast a shadow on the future of this Arab country. Houthi fighters, who are Zaidi Shia Muslims, are seeking independence from a government which they say is corrupt and too close to Saudi Arabia. The latest round of fighting started in Yemen’s north last month and has continued primarily in Saada province. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people have been displaced in the fighting in Saada and UN aid agencies are warning that Yemen is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Just four hours after a truce was declared on Saturday, fighting had resumed with both sides claiming the other had broken the ceasefire. Is Yemen heading for another civil war? And how are regional powers influencing events in a country considered a breeding ground for extremist groups? Inside Story presenter Sohail Rahman is joined by Hakim Almasmari, the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post, Tahar Qassim, the chairman of the Liverpool Arabic Centre, and Steven Park, the founder of Sema Group, a global security company.
- Yemeni rebels and government cease fire – 5 Sept 09 – Al Jazeera via Youtube.com – The Yemeni government has said that it has halted military operations against the Houthi fighters to allow aid to reach civilians trapped in the conflict zone. Up to 150,000 people are said to have been forced from their homes by intense fighting and are in need of urgent assistance. It was unsure, however, whether the truce would hold as the conflict between the Houthi group and the government has been going on for five years, and mistrust between both sides is deep. Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reports from the capital, Sanaa.
- Saudi Air Force Attack Ground Targets – video posted to YouTube.com
