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.

Suicide car bomb kills four in Yemen

June 4 2012

By SAPA

A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden car at a checkpoint in Yemen's restive southern province of Abyan on Monday, killing four pro-army gunmen, a member of a pro-army militia said.

The military, meanwhile, reported that six jihadists died in clashes with troops, elsewhere in Abyan.

 “Four of our men were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives at a checkpoint between Loder and Shaqra” in Abyan, a member of the Popular Resistance Committees fighting alongside the army said.

The militiamen from the Popular Resistance Committees are mainly armed local residents fighting alongside the Yemeni army against Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

The source, who declined to be named, told AFP that militiamen foiled a similar attempt by another suicide attacker who passed by a checkpoint held by the gunmen.

The bomber blew himself up after militiamen pointed their guns at him to shoot him. He was killed alone, according to the same source.

Meanwhile south of Abyan's capital Zinjibar, clashes between Al-Qaeda militants and the army left six jihadists dead and five wounded, a military official said. A soldier was also wounded in the fighting.

Yemeni forces launched an all-out offensive on May 12 aimed at reclaiming Zinjibar and other towns and cities in the province lost to Al-Qaeda over the past year.

Since the assault began, at least 397 people have been killed, according to an AFP tally compiled from official statements, including 291 Al-Qaeda fighters, 66 military personnel, 22 local militiamen and 18 civilians. - Sapa-AFP