23 dead in Yemen Salafi-Houthi clashes

23 dead in Yemen Salafi-Houthi clashes
Sun Jan 5, 2014 14:56:16

Two days of clashes between Houthi fighters and tribesmen fighting alongside hardline Salafists in northern Yemen have left at least 23 people dead.

On Sunday, at least 10 people were killed in Jawf province in clashes between the Houthi fighters and armed men from the Daham tribe, a tribal chief told AFP.

Seven people were killed at Harf Sufyan, in the northern province of Amran, another tribal chief said on Sunday, while two others died in shelling of Dammaj, in Saada province, Salafist websites reported.

Four people died in fighting that took place in Jawf on Saturday, another tribal chief said.

Houthi fighters this week took over positions evacuated by Salafist gunmen in the area of Kitaf, north of Saada city, witnesses said.

In October, Saudi-backed Takfiri militants opened three different fronts in Saada and other northern provinces to raid al-Houthi strongholds there.

Informed sources in Yemen say some 4,000 Wahhabi Salafists have been dispatched to the region to prepare the ground for a war on Houthis in the provinces.

NTJ/HH

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