Gulf | Yemen

20 Al Houthi rebels surrender in Yemen

Some 20 young men who were fighting with Al Houthi rebels in Bani Hushaish area, in the northern outskirts of Sana'a, have surrendered to the authorities.

  • By Nasser Arrabyee Correspondent
  • Published: 00:08 June 5, 2008
  • Gulf News

Sana'a: Some 20 young men who were fighting with Al Houthi rebels in Bani Hushaish area, in the northern outskirts of Sana'a, have surrendered to the authorities.

The state-run media released a photograph of the young men who looked under 20 years. The battles in the northern suburbs of Sana'a continued for about two weeks.

The governor of Sana'a province, No'man Duwaid, said yesterday that the government troops "cleansed Bani Hushaish of the rebels and saboteurs".

Journalists are not allowed to go to the areas of battles. The sounds of the bombardments could no longer be heard by the residents of Sana'a for three days at a row.

The government officials said the young men had been misled and misinformed by the supporters of Al Houthi to the battles in the mountains of Bani Hushaish.

"We were promised to be sent to United States if we participated in the battles against the government," the official Al Syasiah daily quoted one of the young men as saying. "And we were told we would enter paradise immediately if we were killed in the battles," said the young man.

News Editor's choice
Gulf weather