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Arabia
Search for al-Houthi Continues
2004-08-12
EFL: Despite the official announcement of the government on August 6th, the major military offensive against anti-US dissident cleric Hussein al-Houthi, in Sa'ada is still going on, local sources told Yemen Times.

The sources said that the house-to-house search for al-Houthi and his main assistants using warplanes and artillery are faced by resisting pockets as supporters of al-Houthi scattered in ten mountainous villages of the Jabal Mran wherein al-Houthi is believed to hide. Military sources said that tens of soldiers have been killed in the guerrilla fight inside the villages: Ratabah, al-Akeef, All Misbah, All Omali, al-Kaza'a, al-Daos, Malha, All Amer, and Shaeeb Salman.
When we use "warplanes and artillery" the bad guys generally die. When the Yemenis do it their own soldiers fill the hospitals. I'm wondering if the Yemeni squad leaders understand what those purple smoke cannisters are for.
There are conflicting reports on the fate of the man which is still unknown; while sources close to al-Houthi expected that the man and his main supporters might have escaped outside Sa'ada, military sources dismissed this and said they are still hiding inside one of the rugged villages. Government troops intensified their search for the man. On Friday, chief of staff Brigadier General Mohammad al-Qassimi vowed the army would soon end the rebellion and catch the outlawed preacher who was fighting government troops since June 18th.

However, the military operations against the rebels in areas of al-Ruzamat, al-Shafia'a, and Nihm led by Abdullah al-Ruzami are fierce, as the military forces used warplanes in shelling these areas.
The military earlier gave al-Ruzami, the second man after al-Houthi in running al-Shabab al-Mumen (Faithful Youth) militant group, an ultimatum to give up. Even some tribal Sheikhs tried to conduct mediation between the two sides. However, all efforts have failed as al-Ruzami is insistent on fighting until the end. Tens of people have been reported to be killed in the recent confrontations.

Tens of soldiers are brought to Sana'a hospitals on a daily basis. President Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed on Monday to press on with an offensive to crush a revolt as the army's losses continued to mount. "Confronting this stray group ... is a patriotic and religious duty," Saleh said in an interview with the UAE-based newspaper Al-Khaleej. Saleh said that the rebellion which is violating the constitution and led by radicals associated with foreign parties is "doomed to fail."
Posted by:Steve

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