SANAA (Reuters)
Yemen said on Thursday it had killed 11 rebels in fighting in the north of the country, while the rebels posted footage on the Internet that appeared to show dozens of captured government troops.
Last month fresh fighting erupted between Shiite Zaydi Muslims in the mountainous Saad region bordering Saudi Arabia and the central government in Sanaa. Conflict first broke out in 2004.
On Wednesday, the rebels fighting in the north of the Arabian Peninsula country warned of a "long war" after the government rejected a truce offer.
" Government forces destroyed a number of locations where the rebels and terrorists were " Yemeni military spokesman A military spokesman said government forces had taken control of five rebel hideouts and "destroyed a number of locations where the rebels and terrorists were."
The rebels, led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, published footage on their website that showed dozens of what they said were captured government troops being escorted out of the Maran area. Other footage showed soldiers surrendering and a tank on fire.
Information about the conduct of the war has been hard to verify since northern provinces have been closed to media. |
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Poor access to war zone Yemen is the poorest Arab country More than 100,000 people, many of them children, have fled their homes during the surge in fighting, a U.N. agency said last month, and aid groups have complained of poor access to the war zone.
The World Food Program said on Tuesday it had managed to distribute food aid to only 10,000 in Hajjah and Saada governorates in August compared to 95,000 people in July due to limited access.
The United Nations children's organization UNICEF launched an appeal on Wednesday for $6.1 million to meet the needs of women and children affected by the fighting.
"Nearly half of the funding will help provide for the immediate water, sanitation and hygiene needs of the displaced population and the host communities," it said in a statement. Many are being housed in tented camps.
The rebels accuse Saudi Arabia of backing the government and the government sees an Iranian hand behind the rebels.
The government says the rebels want to restore a Shiite state overthrown in the 1960s and this week summoned the Iranian ambassador over Iranian media's coverage of the fighting.
The rebels say they want more autonomy, including Zaydi schools in their area. They oppose the spread of Saudi-influenced Sunni fundamentalism and accuse the government of indiscriminate bombing of villages. |
