Yemeni government, rebels trade accusations

Sana'a: The Yemeni Government on Thursday accused the Al Houthi rebels of plotting new war in Sa'ada north of the country, despite the ongoing reconstruction process.

"That group [Al Houthi rebels] lives on war because it finds support from organisations that are against Yemen's security and stability," a security official told the state-run media.

"The state has the capacity to crush the rebels, and it wants to save the blood of the Yemenis," the official said.

"The foolishness of the group of sabotage and rebellion will lead to their destruction, and they would take full responsibility if they fail to respond to the state's efforts of achieving peace and stability," warned the official. The official pointed out that the rebels were still in the mountains and have been carrying out attacks on government troops and citizens since July 17, 2008, when the President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced a halt of the war which started in mid 2004.

President Saleh then ordered the government to allocate $50 million (Dh183.6 million) for the reconstruction process of the war-torn Sa'ada province. On his part, the rebels' leader Abdul Malek Al Houthi earlier in the week accused the government of preparing to launch a new war against his followers in Sa'ada.

"We call upon the government to stop aggression or we will have to do everything we can to defend ourselves and confront the injustice," Al Houthi said in a statement sent to local media.