Sana'a: Fighting in the Yemen's province of Hajja between Shiite rebels, known as Al Houthis, and local tribes have recently intensified, driving hundreds of families to leave their homes and find refuge in neighboring safe places, Gulf News has learnt.

Hundreds of combatants from both sides have been killed in the battles and each party is accusing the other of sparking the battles.

Kamal Al Gudaimi, who is working for Atta charity, told Gulf News that fighting has forced more than 500 families to seek refuge in the districts of Haradh, Abess and other areas in the province of Hajja.

"The displaced persons crammed into schools. There are five families in some classes of the school. They are in pressing need for tents, blankets, food stuffs and many of them are sick," Al Gudaimi said. 

He said that there are 50 injured people, including children, who urgently need health care. "There are as many as 1000 families who have lost their source of livelihood when the warring rivals turned Ahem market, which is the business centre for local people, into a battleground. Clashes erupted first in November 2011 and continued for three weeks and a short-lived ceasefire followed. Since that time, there has been sporadic fighting. Kamal says that hundreds have been killed. I would like to send an appeal to the national and international relief foundations to help citizens caught in the crossfire. There are at least 100 children who lost parents in the war."

Tribal leaders says Al Houthi rebels want to seize more areas in the province. "We are defending our lands, families and doctrine against Al Houthi incurusions," said Ali Fallat, a tribal leader in Kusher district and one of those, engaged in fighting with Al Houthis.

The fighting started when Al Houthis attacked a strategic mountainous area overran by the tribesmen.

"Al Houthis have killed at least 40 of our men and we have killed hundreds of their men. We are working hard to avert harming citizens, but Al Houthis are using heavy weaponry like tankers and mortars," Fallat said, adding that the government has done nothing. "We informed the ministers of defense and interior about the fighting."

Al Houthis who have had six wars with the government in the northern province of Sa'ada are claiming that they are facing ethnic cleansing from many parties supported by foreign forces.

In a statement released by Abdul Malek Al Houthi's office, Al Houthis rebuffed accusations by the tribes that they are planning to expand their territories, stating that many non-Yemeni fighters have been involved in the fighting against them.

"We are being targeted in Hajja province by militiamen and mercenaries who are loyal to foreign forces who exploit overstated fear by many neighboring countries," the statement said. 

Al Houthis have also been fighting Salafis in the Dammaj district in Sa'ada. Dozens of people, including foreign students studying at a local religious Salafi school, have been killed in those clashes which started in October last year.