NDC: NO MIND TO HALT WAR IF HOUTHIS COMMITTED TO SIX POINTS

SANA'A, Jan.31 (Saba) - The National Defense Council (NDC) affirmed
on Sunday that the government has no mind to end the military
operations if the Houthi rebels committed to implement the six
point-ceasefire already announced by the government.

In its meeting chaired by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the council
discussed the situation in Saada province and what was announced by
Houthis on Saturday about their commitment to some of the points
announced by the government to halt the military operations.

The council insisted the commitment of the Houthis to the six
points, including the obligation not to attack on the Saudi lands
and to delivery the Yemenis and Saudis kidnapped by the Houthi
rebels without delay, to stop the military operations.

Halting the military operations would be according to specific and
clear mechanisms, so as to ensure non-recurrence of fighting,
bringing peace, return of displaced people to their villages and
rebuilding the ruin left by the rebellion war in Saada, the NDC
added.

The army has tightened the grip around the Houthi terrorists in Harf
Sufian and al-Malahidh districts, Amran province and arrested a
number of them, the state -run almotamer.net reported on Sunday.

The armed forces destroyed the rebel's nests, weapons and equipments
in a number of areas in the two districts of Amran province and in
Saada province. Three rebels were killed while trying to infiltrate
into farms in Saada.

On the other hand, the terrorist leader, who is responsible for
training the terrorist elements, Kaid Abu Malik was killed with 20
rebel elements in al-Safia district, Saada province.

Furthermore, the security services arrested one of al-Houthi rebels,
who fight against the national army in Saada province, when he was
receiving treatment in a hospital in the capital Sana'a, Interior
Ministry reported on Sunday.

The security services said the arrested called Abdul-Salam al-Nawbi
,30, was seriously injured in the war ,adding when he was
questioned, he confessed that he was fighting beside the rebel
militants in Saada against the government troops .

Yemeni troops and Houthi rebels have been involved in intermittent
fighting since 2004.Thousands of people, soldiers and insurgents
have been killed in Saada, which lies close to border with Saudi
Arabia, after the rebel group was founded by Hussein al-Houthi.

Hussein, the eldest brother of the current group leader Abdul-Malik,
was killed by the army in September 2004.

The Yemeni government accuses the al-Houthi group of trying to
reinstall the rule of imams, which was toppled by a republican
revolution in northern Yemen in 1962.


BA