ARMY DESTROYS WEAPON STORES IN SAADA

SAADA, Dec. 13 (Saba) - The army launched painful strikes to
al-Houthi insurgents during the past hours in a number of districts
in Saada, northern Yemen, the GPC-run al-moatamar.net reported on
Sunday.

The troops have managed to destroy a number of hideouts in Matrah
district of Sa'ada governorate. The hideouts were weapon storeas and
workshops to make mines and explosives in addition to some leading
sites in caves in the same area.

Meanwhile, the army troops have tighten their grip on the rest rebel
cells in the Old city of Sa'ada and managed to destroy three
hideouts of theirs.

They foiled attempts of al-Houthi rebels to infiltrate to hills
western the al-Sama'a and Novan areas, causing huge losses and
casualties in the rebels, who have been forced to run away.

On the other hand, Military and security units are continuing their
cleansing Harf Sufian area from mines planted by rebels.

To thwart weapon trafficking to rebels, Interior Ministry has
directed the security authorities in all governorates, particularly
those in coastal cities, to intensify surveillance at passages and
coordinate with other forces to hunt arms dealers and foil
trafficking operations.

Fighting against al-Houthi loyalists has erupted in the mid of
August between government forces and supporters of rebel leader
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Sa'ada.

This is the sixth conflict between the government forces and the
rebels in Sa'ada governorate since 2004. Thousands of people,
soldiers and insurgents have been killed in Saada province, which is
located close to border with Saudi Arabia.

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

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

AF/AF