Failure of mediation, clashes renewed in Yemen

Clashes renewed yesterday between units of the Yemeni army and supporters of Sheikh Hussein Bader Eddin al-Houthi, after the failure of the mediation efforts made by a committee composed of members of the parliament and scholars to convince al-Houthi and his group to surrender themselves.

Witnesses said in al-Malahiz area which is close to Marran mountain where al-Houthi is hiding and his group to the north west of Saddah governorate near the Saudi borders, that intensive fire was heard in the slopes of Marran mountains, besides artillery bombardment carried out by the army forces to attack the fortifications of what they described al-Houthi followers.

Witnesses said that the forces backed by tanks were deployed in Marran area and blocked the roads leading to the al-Zeidi scholar ( al-Houthi). Tension increased in the area where the gunmen dug holes and armed by shelling and anti tanks shelling to resist any advancement for the army.

The Yemeni September 26 paper, mouthpiece of the armed forces, quoted a security source in Sadaa governorate denied that the Yemeni authorities are chasing al-Houthi because of his sermons which provoke against the US and Israel.