Yemen reports northern rebellion ‘almost over’

Lina Ibrahim
For Al-Shorfa.com
2009-10-26

Yemeni Information Minister Hassan Ahmed al-Lozi. (AFP/Getty Images)

Yemeni authorities are claiming that their army is on the verge of crushing the Zaidi Shiite rebellion in the mountainous northern region of the country, after a ten-week campaign.

Minister of Information Hassan al-Lozi recently told the state news agency

The Yemeni government launched its campaign, code-named Operation Scorched Earth, against the Zaidi rebels, also known as the Hawthis, after the group’s leader, Badreddin Al-Hawthi, died on Aug. 11. After taking up initial positions in the province of Saada, they later moved on to surrounding areas.

Hundreds died in the clashes and thousands more were injured. Meanwhile, tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes, causing a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a scarcity of food and other essentials.

The Yemeni government has accused the Hawthi rebels of accepting support from its regional neighbours, such as Iran, and seeking to revive the Shiite regime that was overthrown in 1962 in a secular coup. The Hawthis deny the allegations, claiming that they are merely resisting the discriminatory policies of the Sunni majority government.

The Hawthis began their armed rebellion against the authorities in Sanaa in 2004.

Source: Yemen news agency/

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