8 mediators killed in Sa'ada while removing mines, Saudi prisoner handed over

By Nasser Arrabyee/15/02/2010

A total of 8 people were killed and several others injured when an anti-tank mine exploded in an area around the Sa'ada city where a field committee for removing mines was working, local sources said Monday.

Two soldiers and six other local people including three representatives of Al Houthi rebels in the field committee were killed , the sources said.

The mine exploded when the people tried to pull out a broken ( damaged) mine sweeper in Al Okab where the joint field committee was working on removing mines and barriers and barricades, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Al Houthi rebels handed over to a mediation committee one Saudi prisoner keeping four others with them until Saudi Arabia hands over their prisoners, independent and Al Houthi sources said Monday.

The spokesman for the rebels, Mohammed Abdul Salam, said that they handed the Saudi prisoner Yahya Abdullah to show good intention to both Yemen and Saudi governments and also because the injuries of the prisoner.

Al Houthi wants his prisoners to be released first by both governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen said the independent sources.

Holding back the remaining four Saudi prisoners may obstruct the work of the field committees, which supervise the implementation of the government's six conditions accepted by Al Houthi rebels for ending the 6-year old armed rebellion.

However, the field committees have been working on reopening the blocked roads, removing mines, and lifting checkpoints and barricades since Friday February 12, when the cease-fire was announced.

The only committee, which has not started working is the one in Harf Sufyan, where the representatives of Al Houthi in the committee did not come yet.

The tribal sheikh Sagheer Azeez, chairman of the committee in Harf Sufyan, said Al Houthi rebels did not agree on who would represent them in the committee. The local tribal sheikh also said that the rebels violated the cease-fire killing five soldiers on Monday.


For the committee in the borders with Saudi Arabia, the chairman Mohammed Al Hawri, said they visited the areas of Shada and Razeh after the rebels removed barriers, mines, and barricades.

But Al Hawri said no new about the Saudi prisoners issue which is the most important issue for this committee in particular.

Zaid Al Shami, chairman of the committee in Al Malahaid far west of Sa'ada, said also that he met with Al Houthi representative Yousef Al Faishi, and that they reopened the road which led to Al Malahaid after removing the mines, and barriers and barricades.

The chairman of the committee in Sa'ada city, Ali Abu Hulaikah said he met with the representatives of Al Houthi rebels, Saleh Al Sumad, and Taha Al Madani, and reopened the roads from Sa'ada, Al Okab, Al Mahather, Al Ain, Suk Al Lail, Al Amashia reaching to Harf Sufyan.