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WORLD NEWS Saturday 10 auguSt 2019

Clashes in southern Yemen; rebels leader’s brother killed

By AHMED AL-HAJ military bases in Aden.
NOHA ELHENNAWY Peace was restored after a
Associated Press few weeks.
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — “We have seen what hap-
Fighting between Yemeni pens when you simply put
government forces and a lid on things. In January
southern separatists en- 2018 the conflict was sim-
tered the third day Friday, ply frozen in place and this
leaving more than 20 killed, is the result of that,” said
including five civilians, offi- Peter Salisbury, senior ana-
cials said. lyst with ICG, a non-profit
The clashes could fur- research institute.
ther complicate Yemen’s A political and security ar-
bloody civil war and frac- rangement envisaging a
ture the government side cease-fire and the inclu-
in the conflict. The govern- sion of separatists into the
ment forces, backed by a government could serve
Saudi-led coalition, have as a long-term solution to
been battling rebels since the conflict, Salisbury ex-
2015. plained.
Also on Friday, the rebel Videos showing Hadi’s forc-
Houthis announced the es on Aden streets carrying
brother of their leader was In this Monday, Aug. 5, 2019 photo, fighters from a militia known as the Security Belt, that is funded machine guns and cheer-
killed by the Saudi-led co- and armed by the United Arab Emirates, head to their training camp, in an area called Moreys, in ing to prove they were in
alition. Yemen’s Dhale province. full control were circulated
The announcement by the Associated Press online. Hadi’s fighers chant-
rebel-run Interior Ministry in sages, strike political deals, stronghold of Yemen’s sep- on the presidential palace ed “God is great, and we
the capital, Sanaa, post- or send threats, but the lat- aratists, who have clashed in Aden and topple Hadi. are all with legitimacy, we
ed on the rebel Almasirah ter did not have any official with Hadi’s forces since The government, in turn, are all Abed Rabbo.” In
website offered no details title or position within the Wednesday. Paradoxically, has accused the separatist some of the videos, gun-
on the killing of Ibrahim group,” he said. the separatists are support- leader of fomenting sedi- shots could be heard in the
al-Houthi, brother of rebel The rebel statement said ed by the United Arab Emir- tion that would only serve background and vehicle-
leader Abdel-Malek al- Ibrahim was “assassinated ates, a key member of the the rebels and called upon mounted weapons could
Houthi. by treacherous hands” in Saudi-led alliance and as the Saudi and Emirati gov- be seen.
Yemeni security officials the Saudi-led alliance fight- such, a Hadi ally — at least ernments to press the sepa- The national airline, Yeme-
said people allied with the ing the rebels on behalf in theory. ratists to halt their attacks. nia Airways, the only op-
Saudi-led coalition killed of Yemen’s internationally Some 20 people were killed, The International Crisis erating airline in and out
Ibrahim al-Houthi and an recognized government. including five civilians, and Group warned Friday the of Yemen, on Thursday di-
associate in Sanaa ear- Yemen’s stalemated war dozens were wounded in fighting would “make an verted all flights to Seiyun
lier this week. The officials between the Iran-aligned the violence, according already multi-faceted con- airport, nearly 840 Kilome-
spoke on condition of ano- Houthis and the govern- to doctors in the southern flict even more complex ters (522 miles) northeast
nymity because they were ment has claimed tens of port city of Aden and secu- and intractable.” of Aden airport due to the
not authorized to brief the thousands of lives, thrust rity officials, who all spoke “Such a conflict would volatile situation.
media. millions to the brink of on condition of anonymity deepen what is already the The International Rescue
Farea Al-Muslimi, a visiting famine and spawned the because they were not au- world’s worst humanitarian Committee announced Fri-
researcher with Chatham world’s most devastating thorized to talk to reporters. crisis and make a national day that it would suspend
House, a London-based humanitarian crisis. The clashes have pitted political settlement harder its aid operations in Aden
policy institute, said Ibrahim The rebels control the Hadi’s guards against a to achieve,” read a state- citing the ongoing clashes.
was a low-level figure who country’s north and Sanaa, UAE-backed militia known ment issued by the Brussels- “This spike in violence and
the Houthi leader used as a while government forces as Security Belt. Hani Bin based group. instability is damaging vi-
special envoy. of President Abed Rabbo Braik, deputy head of the Similar clashes erupted in tal infrastructure, including
Abdel-Malek “used to rely Mansour Hadi hold mainly so-called Southern Transi- January 2018 when sepa- water supply, and will com-
on him to do political medi- southern Yemen. tional Council, had called ratists attempted to seize plicate aid efforts,” the IRC
ation, convey certain mes- But the south is also a upon separatists to march government facilities and said in a statement.q