A day after Abdel-Malek al-Houthis, the leader of the Houthis called for President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s immediate resignation, tribal sources in Hamdan confirmed that Houthi militants had moved against their tribesmen in the area, thus inching ever close to the Yemeni capital, Sana’a.
The Houthis, a Shiite group which since its inception in 1994 has worked to affirm itself as a prominent political and tribal entity in Yemen highlands, has exponentially increased its influence over Yemen northern territories since 2011 uprising, having managed to exploit political insecurity and instability to its advantage. While Abdel-Malek al-Houthis has often advocated his men aimed only to integrate mainstream politics, his militants took up arms against Salafis militants affiliated to al-Islah (Sunni radical factions which acts an umbrella for several religious and tribal groups, among which the Muslim Brotherhood) back last October on allegations the Sunni ultra-orthodox were recruiting and training wannabe Jihadists within the walls of their Dammaj religious centre of Dar al-Hadith.
Since then clashes have plagued Yemen highlands.
If back in February the coalition government managed to successfully broker a truce with both the Houthis and Islahi tribesmen, Saudi Arabia’s announcement last Friday that both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Houthis had been labelled terror organizations, fighting resumed with utmost intensity.
Addressing his supporters on Sunday, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi slammed President Hadi for his lack of leadership and political weakness before the United States of America; making a direct reference to Yemen-US drone program.
Tribal sources in Hamdan confirmed on Monday that more Houthi fighters had managed to seize control of several strategic positions in the area, only 40 kilometres away from Sana’a.