Yemeni forces tighten al-Houthi positions. his fate is unknown

Yemeni sources announced yesterday that the government forces tightened control over the mountainious positions of the Yemeni Shiite Zeidi scholar Hussein Bader Eddine al-Houthi who had been hiding with his supporters for more than 6 weeks.

One government official asked to be anonymous said that units from the army and the security forces broke into all positions were al-Houthi and his supporters are hiding following violent fighting erupted on Tuesday and continued until Thursday afternoon.

The source indicated it considers that al-Houthi was killed in a raid launched by the army against his positions in al-Hukmi mountain in Marran area in Heidan of Saadah city in the northern part of the country.

He added " the sources started yesterday a vast mopping up operation of all villages situated in the surrounding of al-Hukmi mountain after they had imposed full control on the positions of the rebels.

Local officials in Saadah governorate which is situated on the border with Saudi Arabia said that scores of persons were killed after the renewal of fighting between the governmen's forces and al-Houthi followers.

A governmental source which refused to be identified said that it is difficult for the authorities to know the precise number of killing because of the difficult communications among area where the confrontations took place, adding that al-Houthi " either fled or has been killed." However, tribal sources in Sadaah situated 250 Km to the north of Sanaa said hat al-Houthi was injured in the attack and the government forces were able of detaining him but government officials refused to confirm or reject these reports.