Sa'da under fire: Yemeni government targets civilians صعدة تحت النار: الحكومة اليمنية تستهدف المدنيين

[M.T. Al-Mansouri, Ph.D.]

First outbreak , 2004 From June to August 2004, government troops battled supporters of al-Houthi in the north.Estimates of the dead range from 500 to 1,000.In September, Yemeni forces killed al-Houthi. Since then, the rebellion is led by one of his brothers, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. Second outbreak, 2005 Between March and April 2005, some 1,500 people were killed in a resurgence of fighting between government forces and supporters of the slain cleric. In May 2005, the rebels rejected an offer of a presidential pardon by President Ali Abdullah Saleh after their conditions for surrender were refused by the government and minor clashes continued. On May 21, the government released estimates of the impact of the rebellion, announcing that it was responsible for 552 deaths, 2,708 injures, and over USD 270 million in economic damages. In March 2006, the Yemeni government freed more than 600 captured Shī‘a fighters. There was no data with regards to casualties in 2006, but they were said to be significantly lower than those of the previous year. Third outbreak,2007 A new spate of fighting broke out on January 28, 2007, when militants attacked multiple government installations, killing six soldiers and injuring 20 more. Further attacks on January 31 left six more soldiers dead and 10 wounded. A further ten soldiers died and 20 were wounded in an attack on an army roadblock near the Saudi Arabian border on February 1. Though there was no official confirmation of militant casualties in the attacks, government sources claim three rebel fighters were killed in a security operation following the January 31 attacks. In February, the government launched a major offensive against the rebels involving 30,000 troops. By February 19, almost 200 members of the security forces and over 100 rebels had died in the fighting. A further 160 rebels were killed in the subsequent two weeks. A ceasefire agreement was reached on June 16, 2007. The rebel leaders agreed to lay down arms and go into exile in Qatar (by whom the agreement had been mediated), while the government agreed to release rebel prisoners, help pay for reconstruction and assist with IDPs returning home. Fourth outbreak, 2008 Armed incidents resumed in April 2008, when seven Yemeni soldiers died in a rebel ambush on April 29. In May 2, 15 worshippers were killed and 55 wounded in an explosion at a mosque in Sa'dah. The blast occurred as crowds of people left Friday prayers at the Bin Salman Mosque. The government blamed the rebels for the bombing, but Houthi's group denied being responsible. Shortly after the attack, three soldiers and four rebels died in overnight skirmishes. On May 12, clashes between Yemeni soldiers and rebels near the border with Saudi Arabia killed 13 soldiers and 26 rebels. President Saleh declared an end to fighting in the northern Sa’da governorate on July 17, 2008. Fifth outbreak,2009 Skirmishes and the clashes between the two sides during 2009 began in June. Nine foreigners were abducted in June while apparently on a picnic in Saada Province. The bodies of three of them, a South Korean teacher and two German nurses were discovered. Five Germans, including three children and a Briton, are still missing and their status is unknown. It is still unclear who is behind the kidnapping. Initial official statements said the group was apparently seized by Houthi rebels. However, Yemen's news agency later reported Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of abducting the group and killing the three. In addition, a spokesman for the rebels accused regional tribes of being behind the kidnappings and slayings. A government committee criticised the fighters for not abiding by an agreement to end hostilities announced by the Yemeni president in July 2008. During July and early August 2009, local officials said the fighters have taken control of more of Saada province from government forces. They seized an important army post near Saada's provincial capital on a strategic highway linking the capital Sana with Saudi Arabia after 12 hours of intense combat. Yemeni troops, backed by tanks and fighter aircraft, launched a major offensive on the stronghold of the rebels in northern Yemen in August 11, 2009, after the government promised an "iron fist" agains rebels. Government forces fired missiles on the headquarters of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the rebel leader. The army also launched air, artillery and missile attacks on the Malaheedh, Mahadher, Khafji and Hasama districts.On August 13, Yemen's government laid out ceasefire terms to the rebels. The government's demands include removing check points, ending banditry and destructive acts, handing over all military equipment and weapons and offering information on the fate of six kidnapped Europeans who disappeared in June.The rebels rejected those terms and fighting continued. Airstrikes and artillery fire were used by the military in battles on August 16, with 17 Houthi fighters and six government troops killed. Humanitarian effects In April 2008, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that the conflict had created 77,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sa'dah Governorate. Six outbreak , 2009 You can see or watch the photos at the Canadian International Electronic Museum of War Crimes.