The most recent flare-up in the long-running fight between the Yemeni Army and Shiite insurgents in the country’s north has killed hundreds of people in the past three weeks, local officials said Tuesday. The clashes, in Amran Province, began when the rebels sought to claim new territory closer to the capital, said Ahmad al-Bakry, the province’s deputy governor. He said more than 500 people had been killed, including 100 rebels and 20 soldiers in the past two days. The toll could not be independently verified. On Monday, the government sent jets to bomb rebel areas after rebels came close to taking over a government checkpoint, Mr. Bakry said. A Houthi rebel leader, Ali al-Bikhiti, linked the violence to grievances over governmental neglect. “What is happening in Amran is a revolt against injustice,” Mr. Bikhiti said.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
(via NY Times)
