Seven Yemeni soldiers have been killed and nine wounded in clashes with supporters of a firebrand preacher near the border with Saudi Arabia, the defense ministry has said. It said on its Internet site on Tuesday that security forces arrested more than 30 supporters of Hussain Badr al-Din al-Huthi who were involved in the fighting, which began late on Sunday. "Security forces continue to encircle the rest of elements hiding in the Hidane region," in Saada province, about 250km north of Sanaa.
| Hope they are better at surrounding people than the Saudis. Of course, that wouldn't take much. |
Tribal sources said earlier that security forces were attempting to force the remaining fighters to surrender. They said the army used heavy weapons in the fighting, during which there were also an undetermined number of civilian casualties. The army laid siege to hundreds of Huthi's supporters on Monday. Armed partisans also came out in force in two other locations in Saada, the sources said. Yemeni authorities accuse Huthi of stirring trouble by organising anti-US demonstrations after weekly Muslim prayers on Fridays. His supporters are "outlaws... extremists and trouble-makers," the ministry charged vowing that they would be brought to justice. "They have opened fire on government institutions, police pickets and roughed up students to stop them from going to school," it added.
| School being a waste of time better spent on learning jihad. |
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