YEMEN - A total of 24 al-Houthi rebels were arrested including one from the most wanted list, said the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday.
A group of 16 rebels were arrested in the old city of Sa'adah where hidden groups have occasionally instigated attacks against security forces since the beginning of the war on August 10th, said an official statement from the Ministry. The statement also said that the security forces are now chasing three more rebels who escaped from the same group and were planning to implement acts of terrorism.
The statement mentioned each of the 16 rebels by name, including Mohsen Saleh al-Hamzi, who is number 14 on Yemen's most wanted list of 55, which was announced by the government at the beginning of the confrontations.
The remaining 8 who were captured and also mentioned by name, were arrested in the Alb area, northeast of the city of Sa'adah, which is located in northern Yemen.
With these arrests, the number of those rebels who were arrested just in the old city of Sa'adah, has reached 151, 44 of whom have already been referred to the prosecution for trial on charges of sabotage.
In a related issue, military officials said a total of 4 vehicles carrying fuel were destroyed in Marran, west of Sa'adah, as part of a new tactic being adopted by the army to strike the rebels' supplies and cripple their movements.
Two cars laden with weapons were also destroyed in the Okab area near the city of Sa'adah, the military officials said. In addition, a total of 28 al-Houthi rebels were killed in the same area outside Sa'adah, the Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday. The rebels were killed while trying to attack the troops in al-Okab.
The same statement also said that the troops repelled attacks by al-Houthi fighters in al-Malaheidh, al-Hosama, and the al-Jarab valley, where they destroyed more vehicles laden with weapons.
Furthermore, another group of 11 al-Houthi rebels were arrested in the old city of Sa'adah, where they were planning to implement terrorist attacks on the security forces and on civilians, the statement said.
With these additional arrests, the total number of those arrested in the old city of Sa'adah has reached 162. Seven of these rebels were transferred early yesterday from Sa'adah to Sana'a and handed over to the prosecution for trial.
The statement also reported that al-Houthi rebels had killed civilians in several attacks on non-military locations, including some hospitals and refugee camps.
“Some al-Houthi rebels have continued attacks against civilians and their houses, especially in the old city of Sa'adah, they have also targeted some government institutions like the al-Salam Hospital, the Civil Status Authority, and the Yemeni Red Crescent Branch,” the statement said.
Three citizens were killed and several others injured in these attacks, including refugees in the two camps, al-Ehsa and Sam, which are close to Sa'adah.
Military special teams removed about 26 mines planted by the rebels in the west of Jarman station, on the way to Sa'adah.
Meanwhile, a son of slain Hussain al-Houthi, the founder of the movement who was killed during the first confrontations in 2004, called for Yemenis to stand united against the armed rebellion in Sa'adah. He sent a message to the citizens of Sa'adah urging them to stand by the military troops against the rebels, whom he described as terrorists.
“I appeal to all Yemenis to stand as one against this rebellion and fight with the troops to fulfill their duty towards their homeland,” Abdullah Hussein Badr al-Houthi said in a statement published by government media. “I urge the state and its citizens to continue this war so that the rebellion is ended forever. I would advise people, based on my own experience, to not be deceived by false information given by the rebels who act indiscriminately.
I call on all Yemenis to stand by the army and help uproot the sedition of the Houthis. We should not view this as a war just against the government, but as a war against the entire nation. Any disruption in this war will only give the rebels an opportunity to regroup and rearrange their plans,” he added.
On his side, the rebel leader said that his fighters have killed and injured dozens of troops and destroyed a number of military vehicles in these battles. In a statement sent through email, he also accused the government of arresting normal civilians and calling them al-Houthi leaders.
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