Sa'ada people want rebellion to end

By Nasser Arrabyee/14/09/2009

A total of 100 leading people from Sa'ada province asked the government Monday to continue crushing the armed rebellion of Al Houthi and not accept any mediation.

"We, the sons of Sa'ada province, strictly refuse any mediation unless the Al Houthi rebels surrender themselves to justice," said a statement signed by the 100 tribal shieks and MPs and officials of the local authority.

They said Al Houthi is deceiving the mediators when his end becomes close.

"We noticed that when the army tightens the noose on the rebels and gets closer to the end, they call for a cease-fire only to take breath and get back to rebellion again as it happened in the previous times."

"If they did not surrender, the government must continue eradicating this malignant cancer which obstructed the development.

The MPs Faiz Al Awjari, Othman Mugali, and Abdul Kareeem Jadban were at the top of those who urged the government to end the rebellion by force.

On his part, the Prime Minister Ali Mojawar confirmed Monday that his government would continue crushing the rebellion in all areas of Sa'ada.

"The government is determined to continue taking its constitutional responsibility for protecting the citizens and deter all the outlaws," Said Mojawar.

"The last hideouts of the rebels are now collapsing and all Sa'ada areas will be cleaned up from them, and security and stability will be back to normal."

Meanwhile, fierce battles are continuing in three main fronts, Al Malahaid, Harf Sufyan, and the areas close to the Sa'ada city.

Experts say that Al Houthi rebels are scattering their efforts in many directions.

Local sources said, in Bakem, north of Sa'ada Al Houthi opened a new front with the tribal and religious leaders. They controlled the police station there, which was bombed by aircrafts hours after their seizure, sources said Monday.

The religious leader Hussein Haidar, whose brother Ibrahim was killed Sunday by Al Houthis, is leading now tribal groups against the rebels in Bakem, the sources said.

About seven soldiers were killed Sunday in an ambush made by Al Houthis in Muthalath Barat in the road of Harf Sufyan where army is advancing towards the city of Sa'ada, which is controlled by the local authority.

The Mig-29 fighters continued Monday to bomb the main strongholds of the rebels leadership in Dhahyan, Mutrah, and Naqa'a.

The tribal Sheikh Ali Naji was killed by Al Houthis in Dammaj, 10 km south east of Sa'ada city, where tribesmen are cooperating with the army.