Sa'dah insurgency

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Sa'dah insurgency
Image:Yemen-Sadah.png
Location of Sa'dah Governorate inside Yemen
Date June 2004 - present
Location Sa'dah Governorate, Yemen
Result Conflict ongoing
Belligerents
Sunni-led:
Military of Yemen
Sunni Islamist paramilitaries[1]		 Shī‘a-led:
Shabab al-Muomineen
Commanders
President Ali Abdullah Saleh
General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar[1]		 Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi †
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Strength
30,000 in-theatre[2] < 3,000[2]
Casualties and losses
> 720 killed[3] hundreds killed

The Sa'dah insurgency[4][5] began in June 2004 when dissident cleric Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, head of the Shī‘a Zaidiyyah sect, launched an uprising against the Yemeni government. Most of the fighting has taken place in Sa'dah Governorate in northwestern Yemen.

The Yemeni government alleges that the Shabab al-Muomineen seek to overthrow it and to implement Shī‘a religious law. The rebels counter that they are "defending their community against discrimination" and government aggression.[6] The Yemeni government has accused Iran of directing and financing the insurgency,[7] while Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani described the Yemeni government's operations as a "jihad".[8]

Contents

[edit] Timeline

From June to August 2004, government troops battled supporters of al-Houthi in the north.[9] Estimates of the dead range from 80 to more than 600. In September, Yemeni forces killed al-Houthi.[10] Since then, the rebellion is led by his son, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.[11]

Between March and April 2005, more than 200 people were killed in a resurgence of fighting between government forces and supporters of the slain cleric.

In May 2005, the rebels rejected an offer of a presidential pardon by President Ali Abdullah Saleh after their conditions for surrender were refused by the government and minor clashes continued. On May 21, the government released estimates of the impact of the rebellion, announcing that it was responsible for 552 deaths, 2,708 injures, and over USD 270 million in economic damages.[11]

In March 2006, the Yemeni government freed more than 600 captured Shī‘a fighters.[12]

A new spate of fighting broke out in late December 2006.[3] On January 28, 2007, when militants attacked multiple government installations, killing six soldiers and injuring 20 more.[13] Further attacks on January 31 left six more soldiers dead and 10 wounded.[14] A further ten soldiers died and 20 were wounded in an attack on an army roadblock near the Saudi Arabian border on February 1.[15] Though there was no official confirmation of militant casualties in the attacks, government sources claim three rebel fighters were killed in a security operation following the January 31 attacks.[16]

In February, the government launched a major offensive against the rebels involving 30,000 troops.[2] By February 19, almost 200 members of the security forces and over 100 rebels had died in the fighting.[17] A further 160 rebels were killed in the subsequent two weeks.[18]

A ceasefire agreement was reached on June 16, 2007. The rebel leaders agreed to lay down arms and go into exile in Qatar (by whom the agreement had been mediated), while the government agreed to release rebel prisoners, help pay for reconstruction and assist with IDPs returning home.[19]

Armed incidents resumed in April 2008, when seven Yemeni soldiers died in a rebel ambush on April 29.[20] On May 2, 15 worshippers were killed and 55 wounded in an explosion at a mosque in Sa'dah. The blast occurred as crowds of people left Friday prayers at the Bin Salman Mosque. The government blamed the rebels for the bombing, but Houthi's group denied being responsible.[6][21] Shortly after the attack, three soldiers and four rebels died in overnight skirmishes.[22]

On May 12, clashes between Yemeni soldiers and rebels near the border with Saudi Arabia killed 13 soldiers and 26 rebels.[23]

[edit] Humanitarian effects

In April 2008, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that the conflict had created 77,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sa'dah Governorate.[24]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Novak, Jane. "Yemen's Internal Shia Jihad", Global Politician, 2007-03-21. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  2. ^ a b c Arrabyee, Nasser. "Yemen's rebels undefeated", Al-Ahram Weekly, 2007-04-04. Retrieved on 2007-04-11. 
  3. ^ a b Al-Mahdi, Khaled. "95 Killed in Yemen Clashes", ArabNews, 2007-02-15. Retrieved on 2007-04-11. 
  4. ^ Hill, Ginny. "Yemen fears return of insurgency", BBC News, 2007-02-05. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  5. ^ McGregor, Andrew (August 12, 2004). "Shi’ite Insurgency in Yemen: Iranian Intervention or Mountain Revolt?" (PDF). Terrorism Monitor 2 (16): 4–6. The Jamestown Foundation. 
  6. ^ a b "Deadly blast strikes Yemen mosque", BBC News, 2008-05-02. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  7. ^ Johnsen, Gregory D. (February 20, 2007). "Yemen Accuses Iran of Meddling in its Internal Affairs" (PDF). Terrorism Focus 4 (2): 3–4. 
  8. ^ Novak, Jane. "Al-Qaeda Escape in Yemen: Facts, Rumors and Theories", Global Politician, 2006-02-18. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  9. ^ "Clashes 'leave 118 dead' in Yemen", BBC News, 2004-07-03. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. 
  10. ^ "Yemeni forces kill rebel cleric", BBC News, 2004-09-10. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. 
  11. ^ a b Arrabyee, Nasser. "Rebellion continues", Al-Ahram Weekly, 2005-05-25. Retrieved on 2007-04-11. 
  12. ^ "Yemen tells Shi'ite rebels to disband or face war", SignOnSanDiego.com, Reuters, 2004-01-29. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. 
  13. ^ "'Shia gunmen' kill Yemeni troops", BBC News, 2004-01-28. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. 
  14. ^ "Shi'ite rebels kill six Yemen soldiers - Web site", Reuters, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. 
  15. ^ "Yemeni soldiers killed in attack", Al Jazeera English, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-02. 
  16. ^ "10 soldiers killed in attack in Yemen", Middle East Online, 2007-02-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. 
  17. ^ "More than 100 killed in 5 days of clashes between army and Shiite rebels clashes in Yemen, officials say", International Herald Tribune, 2007-02-19. Retrieved on 2007-04-11. 
  18. ^ "160 rebels killed in Yemen", Israel Herald, 2007-03-07. Retrieved on 2007-04-11. 
  19. ^ Al-Hajj, Ahmed. "Yemen's government, Shiite rebels negotiate end to 3-year conflict", The Seattle Times, 2007-06-17. Retrieved on 2007-06-17. 
  20. ^ Reuters. "Dozens of casualties in Yemen mosque blast", France 24, 2008-05-02. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  21. ^ "Deaths in Yemeni mosque blast", Al Jazeera English, 2008-05-02. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  22. ^ Associated Press. "7 die as Yemeni troops, rebels clash after mosque attack", The Jerusalem Post, 2008-05-03. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  23. ^ Associated Press. "Heavy clashes break out between Yemeni soldiers and Shiite rebels in nor", International Herald Tribune, 2008-05-12. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  24. ^ "YEMEN: Rebel leader calls for international aid", IRIN, 2008-05-06. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 

[edit] External links

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