Tribal sources confirmed early on Monday morning that despite a truce, Salafis and Houthis militants clashed overnight in the Amran province, a stronghold of the powerful al-Ahmar family.
Located directly north of the capital, Sana’a, Amran represents a key strategic military position since its control would mean direct access to Sana’a central government and thus the political and institutional heart of Yemen. When earlier this month Houthi militants advanced against their politico-religious nemesis within the province, President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi had to intervene by imposing the terms of a ceasefire. Keen to defuse the situation he ordered both factions to withdraw their men and for Salafi militants to vacate Dammaj, where tensions first erupted late last October.
With tensions flaring up again, tribal sources revealed that an estimated 12 people (eight Houthis and four Sunni tribesmen) were killing late on Sunday, warning that the truce was on very shaky ground should nothing be done to calm the situation.
According to local reports it seems that Houthi militants would have attempted to seize control over a mountain, prompting the fury of local tribesmen affiliated to al-Ahmar clan, a strong supporter of the Salafi movement in Yemen.
Should the truce fail to hold, Yemen would be at risk of further fragmentation and sectarian strife at a time when the impoverished nation should be pulling the curtain on its National Dialogue Conference.
To add to Yemen’s current political fragility, NDC representatives expressed some last minute reservations toward the text of the final agreement.