At least seven soldiers and 46 supporters of an anti-US cleric have been killed and 41 others injured in four days of fierce clashes in mountainous areas of the northern Yemeni province of Saada, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. The ministry said in a statement that 35 people had been injured in the fighting that erupted Monday when security and military forces tried to arrest Hussein Badruddin Al-Houthi, a prominent leader of the Shiite sect.
Authorities accuse Al-Houthi of spreading âmisleading thought,â and inciting people against the United States by organizing anti-US demonstrations after weekly Friday prayers. They believe Al-Houthi, a leader of the Zaidi Shiite sect, is head of the rebel group âThe Believing Youthâ, which has led violent protests against the United States and Israel at mosques, security sources say. Among the charges against Al-Houthi and his group were attacking and killing security and military troops, raiding government buildings, and assaulting mosque preachers. In a strongly worded statement, the ministry dubbed Al-Houthi and his followers as âoutlaws, rebels and extremists,â and accused him of receiving âforeign financial aid.â |