| Yemen’s interior minister said on Saturday that 86 supporters of an anti-U.S. rebel cleric and 32 government forces have been killed in nearly two weeks of clashes in the mountainous north of the Arab state. Rshad al-Alimi also told parliament 331 supporters of Hussein al-Houthi had been arrested, most of them before military action against the group began on June 20 in Saada province, 240 km (150 miles) north of the capital Sanaa. "Houthi refused all mediation efforts by parliamentarians, Muslim scholars and government officials to surrender peacefully," the minister said, adding that a siege continued. He said 21 rebels and 120 government security and military forces had been injured in the clashes. "Each member of this group receives $200 a month which indicates they may have foreign support," Alimi said but did not elaborate. Sources close to Houthi have put the death toll from the clashes, which began on June 20, at about 200. |