Houthis take control of three positions in north Yemen, claim confiscating Saudi weapons

By: Shuaib M. al-Mosawa

Jun 4, 2012

The Houthi rebels of the Shiite group said they took over Saudi weapons in renewed battles with armed Salafis in the area of Kittaf area in the province of Sa’ada.

A spokesperson in the media office of the Houthi rebels told the Yemen Observer over the phone that their rivals attacked - on June 2nd - affiliated Houthis in Kittaf, the district boarding the rich oil country, Saudi Arabia. The Houthis accused the Salafis to be baked by Saudi Arabia.

 “Militias of the Saudi regime attacked our brothers in the Kittaf district; we were able to take three key positions and confiscate food rations as well as Saudi Arabian branded weapons.

In 2009, Saudi Arabia had briefly attacked the Houthis claiming that they entered their borderline areas. The Houthis fought killed dozens of the Saudi Patrols in that battle. 

The source said that the Salafis had planted three landmines that were later detonated at a Salafi convoy, bombing three cars. The causalities in both parties could not be confirmed.

Saudi ambulances were seen coming from the port of  al-Boq’a, which borders the Kingdom, to come rescue the injured Salafis, said the Houthi spokesperson.

The battles in Kittaf have been raging sporadically in the area for three months now, and have recently intensified. The Houthi rebels, led by Abdulmalik al-Houthi, agreed last week to engage in the National Dialogue which is part of the GCC brokered deal, aimed at putting an end to the Yemeni political crisis.