Gulf | Saudi Arabia

Saudi airforce pounds Yemen's rebel camps

Saudi political analysts say that the rebels are trying to breed instability

  • By Abdul Rahman Shaheen, Correspondent
  • Published: 15:57 November 5, 2009

  • In this photo taken Sunday, January 25, 2009, an F-15 warplane of the Saudi Air Force flies over the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh during a graduation ceremony at King Faisal Air Force University. According to Arab diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity, Saudi Arabian Tornado and F-15 warplanes have bombarded targets inside Yemen since Wednesday afternoon Nov 4, 2009, inflicting significant casualties on the Yemeni Shiite rebels.
  • Image Credit: AP

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia airforce struck rebel strongholds in northern Yemen on Thursday as reinforcements deployed on the southern border with Yemen in Jizan Region.

A number of eye witnesses from Jizan Region told Gulf News that the Saudi authorities have evacuated as many as 1500 inhabitants from six villages close to the border with Yemen and temporarily closed down schools.

The evacuated villagers have been shifted to special camps erected at war-foot level in anticipation of widening conflict between Houthi rebels and Saudi security forces.

Saudi political analysts say that the rebels are trying to breed instability to turn the issue into a regional one between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

 “The recent seizure of an Iranian boat carrying weapons destined for Yemeni rebels is a primary example,” said noted political analyst Dr. Ali Al Atiyyah.

Meanwhile, the Iranian owned Arabic language news channel Al Alam was dropped by Saudi-hosted ArabSat and Egyptian-owned Nilesad, in a move that is widely seen as politically motivated.

Egypt’s Middle East News Agency said the decision was because of contractual violations, without elaborating. Al Alam has followed the Yemeni government’s war with Shi’ite rebels in north Yemen, reporting regularly on statements by the rebels who have accused Saudi Arabia of backing the government in Sana’a.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are close allies of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has said individuals in Iran are funding the rebels but stopped short of accusing the government.

The crackdown on Al Alam TV station was described by a Cairo-based human rights campaigner as the “harshest” against the station.

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