Sana’a: Yemen’s Salafists have “reluctantly” agreed to exit the besieged village of Dammaj in the north, ending months of fighting with Al Houthi rebels.
Fighting between Salafists and their rival Al Houthis erupted in late October when the latter accused Salafists of harbouring hundreds of armed foreign fighters in a Quranic school, in the Shiite-dominated province of Saada. The fierce intermittent battles centred around the school of Dar Al Hadith.
Local sources said that Yahyia Al Hujowri, director of the school, sent a message to the Yemeni president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, urging him to find a solution to the fighting. Al Hujowri told Hadi that he would abide by any solution.
Surur Al Wadi’i, Salafist spokesman, told Gulf News by telephone that Hadi “unexpectedly” proposed that Salafists leave Dammaj.
“When we authorised him [Hadi] to find a settlement for the crisis, we did not expect him to ask us to leave Dammaj and handed it to [Al] Houthis.”
Despite their objection to Hadi’s solution, Al Hujowri appealed Hadi on Saturday to give him four days before they depart Dammaj with his students.
“Yahyia Al Hujowri received a telephone call from president Hadi on Saturday afternoon informing him about his decision.”
Al Wadi’i said that Al Hujowri would leave for his birthplace in the western province of Hodeida while the rest of Dammaj residents would live with relatives in other places across the country.
“We are not happy with the solution. Hadi sacrificed 15,000 people to get closer to [Al] Houthis.” Al Wadi’i said.
The Salafists have long accused the government of looking the other way as [Al] Houthis shelled the besieged village.
Government officials were not available to respond to the accusations.
Al Wadi’i warned that the “deeply disappointed” students could become a standing threat to the county’s stability.
Al Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, said that their demand did not include displacing the residents of Dammaj.
“Ansar Allah’s demands were the departure of armed foreign fighters from Dammaj, and handing over mountains overlooking the school to troops and allowing the government to determine the legality of foreign students’ presence in the school.” Ali Al Bakheeti, Al Houthi spokesman, told Gulf News.
Al Bakheeti said that they did not demand the closure of the religious school or displacing peaceful people in Dammaj.
“The [Al] Houthi leader Abdul Malek Al Houthi gave assurances that the Al Houthis will protect the school and allow them to teach.”
