Sunday, 05 September 2010 17:05

SADAA, 02 Nov – The army Sunday issued an ultimatum for the Zaydi Shiite rebels stationed in the old city of Sadaa asking them to hand themselves in by midnight else “the troops will storm the city.”  Following fierce fighting on Sunday night in which 24 rebels were killed and  several soldiers were wounded, the military asked the Shiite insurgents to surrender, the Islamist website, Alsahwa reported quoting local sources in Sadaa amid reports President Saleh has given security officials in Sadaa a 10-day ultimatum to end the battle with the insurgents.  “25 tribesmen from Damaj were killed in heavy clashes with the Shiite rebels while 92 rebels lost their lives in the fighting,” said Alsahwa.  On the fighting in Harf Sufian, 35 insurgents were killed while they were trying to stop the military from advancing into the region of al-Masahid.  Other reports said the military made significant progress in its fighting with the rebels in al-Malahid region in Sadaa and sources said “the army re-gained and totally controlled several strongholds of the rebels.”  In the district of Sahar, pro-government tribesmen clashed with the insurgents and succeeded in crushing them amid news the military has controlled several areas surrounding Sadaa, said Alsahwa.  In related news, the defense ministry website, 26-September Monday said the rebels shelled al-Sam refugee camp in Sadaa for the second time in a week wounding a child and a woman.  The camp is run by the Red Cross in cooperation with the Islamic relief agency.

Sunday, 05 September 2010 17:05

SANAA, 07 Nov – Tribal leader and business tycoon, Sheik Hamid Abdullah al-Ahmar late Friday accused the Republican Guards of supporting the Shiite rebels in previous wars.  He said “the Yemeni army is no longer capable of ending the war in north Yemen militarily because it lost trust in the political leadership in Yemen which plays around with peoples’ lives.”  Al-Ahmar who was speaking to the Doha-based al-Jazeera satellite TV channel said “the Republican Guards headed by the President’s son supported the Shiite rebels in north Yemen in order to hit the First Artillery military division led by Brigadier General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar and hence get rid of him,” adding “a rebel leader is a friend of the President’s son, Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh.”