REBEL LEADER HURT, FLEES TO ANOTHER REGION IN SAADA

SANA'A, Dec.20 (Saba) - Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the rebel leader, has
seriously been injured, but survived being killed and fled to
another area inside the province, the state-run 26sept.net reported
on Sunday citing local sources in Haidan district.

He was located in Matara district.

After his injuries, al-Houhti appointed his brother in law Yousef
al-Madani as new rebel leader, the sources noted.

They also affirmed that several rebel leaders and their followers
were killed in Maran and Dhayan districts.

The army has intensified attacks against the insurgents and
continued to cleanse many northern areas of them.

Dozens of them were killed, wounded, arrested and surrendering in
recent weeks including leaders.

The fresh confrontations, which started in mid August this year,
come within a six-year-long war against the Houthi loyalists in
Saada and Harf Sufyan district in neighboring Amran province.

FR