Clashes beween Yemeni forces and al-Houthi supporters renewed

Tribal sources said that armed clashes renewed between the Yemeni security forces and supporters of Hussein Bader al-Houthi who leads an armed rebellion in a mounanious area to the north of the country.

The sources said that confrontation took place in different areas of Haidan directorate in Saadah province where police forces and the army are chasing al-Houthi since 6 weeks.

The sources continued that several of al-Houthi supporters and the soldiers were killed in the confrontation but no precise figures were provided on the number of killing from both sides.

Local officials in Saadah, 250 Km to the north of Sanaa, said that the renewed confrontations resulted in obstructing works of the mediation committee appointed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh to negoiate with al-Houthi and convince him to surrender.

The government's forces stopped by the end of July a large scale attack it has been launching since June 21 at al-Houthi premises when 200 persons were killed including 40 soldiers -- so as to give a chance for negotiations.

The authorities accuse al-Houthi, a former member in the parliament and one of the Shiite community scholar of Zeidi affiliation in Yemen, of leading an armed rebellion and provoke for riots through organizing demonstration against the US and Israel.