Published:09-11-2009

SANAA, Nov. 8 — The Yemeni President said in a speech on Saturday that the real war against Houthis has just begun over the past two days, which means that since Saudi Arabia has engaged in the war, according to political observers. This came as Houthi fighters entered into clashes with both Yemeni and Saudi armies.
Inaugurating the Liquefied Natural Gas Project and the export of the first consignment in Shabwa’s Belhaf area, Saleh said, “It is now that Yemeni forces are more aware of the harsh topography of some Sa'ada areas, where fighting is taking place.”
He vowed not to stop the war before eliminating Houthis. “We sacrifice many patriotic officers, soldiers and citizens every day. Therefore, no reconciliation, truce or stopping of the war is accepted unless the rebellious group in the Sa'ada governorate is exterminated.”
Saleh added that Sa’ada experiences a war of personal liquidations, as not all those fighting against the government are Houthis.
From his side, Yahya Badraddin Al-Houthi, one the Houthi leaders abroad, declared that their fighters will continue to resist what he described as “two-side aggression against their followers.”

War prisoners
Saudi forces continue fighting against Houthis at its border with Yemen. “Saudi mortars struck areas surrounding the 2000-meter high Dukhan Mountain, near their southern border with Yemen,” Saudi official sources said.
According to Saudi official media, Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, Assistant to Saudi Defense Minister, denied that there are Saudi war prisoners held captive by Houthis. “There are only four troops missing,” he said. This came after Houthis announced that they arrested many Saudi soldiers. However, this wasn’t confirmed by independent sources.
The Saudi official denied that his government troops entered Yemeni soil, contradicting an allegation by Houthis that they clashed with Saudi troops inside Yemen’s territory.
Spokesman for Houthis Mohammed Abdussalam told the Aljazeera satellite channel that his fighters will transmit a recorded tape of the Saudi soldiers held captive. He warned Saudi authorities against encroaching upon Yemen’s sovereignty.
Abdussalam asked Saudi Arabia not to intervene in Yemen’s internal affairs, as well as not to allow the Yemeni army to use its territory for attacking his followers. “Houthis are entitled to defend themselves by all means available,” he confirmed.

“Worst Day”
A Saudi medic at Samta Hospital, near the border of Yemen, said that seven Saudis, including four women from the same family were killed, and up to 126 others injured since the Saudi-Houthi clashes erupted last Tuesday.
Media sources described last Friday as the “worst day” for Saudi Arabia when the hospital received several casualties. The Saudi Arabiya.net quoted a military expert as saying that “It is clear that Saudi forces finalized deployment along their border with Yemen within a comprehensive plan to close up all the outlets against Houthis and protect its civilians from violence.”
The Saudi authorities imposed a curfew in particular southern areas, which they described as a fighting scene, particularly at night in order to verify Identities of IDPs (internally displaced people), after some Houthis sneaked into some Saudi villages and mixed with IDPs, wearing Pakistani clothes.
Media Office of field leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said that Saudi jets hit the Yemeni Malahidth district and nearby villages on Saturday in five air raids, adding that the Saudi forces fired more than 30 rockets at the district.
According to a recent statement by the Houthi media office, Houthi fighters resisted Saudi infantry units that entered Yemeni territory, capturing many soldiers and seizing their equipment.
The Saudi air forces waged on Wednesday through Friday several raids against Houthi strategic positions in the Dukhan Mountain and neighboring areas. “We took a series of measures to confront Houthis, two of which were launching intensive aerial shelling against Houthi positions in the mountain, and hitting other Houthi targets on Saudi soil,” the Saudi government said in a statement.
The statement added that Saudi forces stopped advancement of Houthi infiltrators and took control of some strategic positions, which Houthis tried to take over.
Media sources reported that Saudi raids targeted Houthi camps in the Yemeni Sa’ada governorate, near the border with Saudi Arabia, in coordination with the Sana’a-based government.
The confrontations between Saudi troops and Houthis began when the latter accused the former of allowing the Yemeni army to establish a military base in the Dukhan Mountain to assault them, which is why they resorted to attacking the base and taking control of the mountain that is part of the Saudi territory, according to the Border Demarcation Agreement between both bordering states in 2000.
Reports by various media outlets confirmed that at least 100 Houthis have been arrested by the Saudi troops since last Tuesday, adding their number is expected to increase. 

Accusations
An official source at Yemen’s Supreme Security Committee accused Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) of being publicly involved in supporting Houthis in the volatile Sa’ada governorate. He added that the JMP member parties encourage Houthis to trigger violence and chaos, as well as hurt security, stability and unity of the homeland.
The source went on to say, “Anyone contemplating on the political and media address of JMP member parties will surely understand that this address foments sectarianism, sedition, and backs vandalistic acts practiced by rebels in the northern Sa’ada governorate.”