Background
Skirmishes and clashes between the two sides began in June 2009, when nine foreigners were abducted during a picnic in the Saada Governorate. Three bodies were found which belonged to a South Korean teacher and two German nurses. In addition, two German children were freed in May 2010 by Saudi and Yemeni forces. The remaining party members are still missing, and their current status is unknown. It remains unclear who was behind the abduction. Initial official statements suggested Houthi rebels had seized the group. However, according to Yemen's news agency, Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of the kidnapping and the three subsequent murders. A spokesman for the insurgents accused regional tribes of being responsible for the kidnappings and slayings. A government committee criticized the fighters for not abiding by an agreement to end hostilities announced by the Yemeni president in July 2008. In July and early August 2009, local officials said the fighters had taken control of parts of the Saada Governorate, including a vital army post near the province's capital.Operation
August–September, 2009
After the government promised to adopt an "iron fist" policy against the rebels, Yemeni troops backed by tanks and fighter aircraft launched a major offensive on rebel strongholds on 11 August 2009. Air, artillery, and missile attacks targeted the Malaheedh, Mahadher, Khafji, and Hasama districts, including the headquarters of the rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. After two days of bombardment, the Yemeni government offered ceasefire terms to the rebels, which included demands for information on the six hostages who disappeared back in June. The rebels rejected the terms, and the fighting continued. After three weeks, the provincial capital Sa'dah was further cut off. Mobile landlines were suspended after the Houthis shelled a communications tower in the neighboring Amran province. The rebels held out in Sa'dah neighborhoods and old mountain fortresses around the city. In September, the first of many ceasefires was agreed. The Yemeni army pushed to secure the road that links Sa'dah to Harf Sufyan, launching salvos of shells to "demine" and "remove bombs" for humanitarian convoys. On 17 September, an airstrike claimed the lives of more than 80 people in a camp for displaced people in the 'Amran Governorate'. On the same day, rebels and government forces also saw massive military action around Sa'dah. Yemeni press releases and military officials claimed that several Houthi leaders were among the dead.Eid attacks
Another ceasefire was agreed on 19 September in commemoration of the Islamic holiday,October, 2009
Fighting continued into October, with Houthi rebels claiming to have captured the town of Munabbih, one of the fifteen districts of the Sa'dah governorate. On 2 October 2009, the Houthis announced that they had successfully shot down aSaudi incursion
By early November, the rebels stated that Saudi Arabia was permitting Yemeni army units to launch attacks across the border from a base in Jabal al-Dukhan, which the Yemeni government later denied. The conflict spilled into the neighboring Saudi Arabia on 3 November 2009 when a Saudi border patrol was ambushed in a cross-border attack, killing one soldier and wounding eleven more. The Kingdom's news agency later added that a second soldier died from injuries suffered during the fight. Following the cross-border ambush on 3 November, Saudi Arabia responded by moving troops to the border and striking Houthi positions on 5 November 2009, usingTruce Attempts
The Yemeni government launched a direct attack into Saada on 7 December 2009. Forces attacked the barricaded strongholds of the city hoping to end the battle quickly and decisively. Fighting continued past 11 December 2009 with Houthi forces still holding out in barricaded houses of the Old City. The battle for the city appeared to have ended following the arrest of some 200 fighters after a week and a half of fighting. Abdul Malik al-Houthi reportedly suffered injuries during the fighting, but managed to escape to safety as Yemeni forces continued to engage rebels throughout the province. By 1 January 2010, Yemen's Higher Security Committee proposed a ceasefire, which was rejected. Houthi leader Abdul Malek al-Houthi said they would stop fighting to prevent further civilian casualties and suggested the withdrawal was a gesture for peace. Saudi General Said Al-Ghamdi confirmed that the Houthis had ceased fire as a result of the determined Saudi assault. Prince Khalid bin Sultan announced that the Houthis were defeated though did not declare an end to the Saudi bombing campaign, aimed at preventing any future incursions into the Kingdom. On 30 January 2010, Houthi rebels appeared to have accepted the Yemeni government truce offer.Clashes continue
Following the truce, the Houthis claimed that Saudis continued with air and missile attacks. The situation deteriorated on 31 January 2010 after the Yemeni government turned down a truce offer by the Houthis. Made by Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the offer was rejected because he demanded that the government end its military operations first. Yemen continued with the military offensive, killing 12 Houthis in the process. Early February saw a new round of attacks by Yemeni forces on Sa'ada. Saudi Arabia also rejoined the fight with air raids. On 5 February 2010, the Yemeni court sentenced Yayha Al-Houthi, the brother of the Houthis' leader Abdul-Malek Al-Houthi, to 15 years imprisonment. The Yemeni MP was tried in absentia due to his involvement in the Shia insurgency. On 6 February 2010, the Houthis renewed their attacks against the Yemeni government, killing 15 Yemeni soldiers in an ambush in Wadi Al-Jabara district and killing 8 soldiers during street battles in Sa'dah city that day. The same day, Saudi air raids destroyed four civilian residences and injured two women. The Saudi military fired 174 rockets and mortars at the rebel controlled Al-Dhaher, Qamamat, Ghafereh, Al-Rammadiat and Shada districts. The last round of skirmishes occurred on 11 February 2010 with five soldiers and thirteen rebels dying in the Amran governorate. Fighting also continued in Sa'dah city and killed seven soldiers and eleven rebels. Houthis repulsed an attempted army infiltration in the Al-Aqab district killing an unspecified number of Yemeni soldiers. Meanwhile, Saudis carried out 13 air raids on the Harf Sufyan, Jouan and Jebel Talan districts.Inside Saada City
During the fighting, roughly 20,000 refugees fled to the provincial capital. The increase in population forced residents to share houses with refugees, along with food and water.Global Arab Network Global Arab Network (GAN) (in Arabic غلوبال اراب نتورك) is a comprehensive news and information service about the Arab world in English and Arabic, registered and based in London London is the capital and largest city of En ...Truce
On 12 February 2010, the Houthis accepted the government's ceasefire proposal. A Yemeni General claimed the Houthis violated the ceasefire on the same day, claiming that four soldiers were killed in two districts while adding that an attempt was made to assassinate him. The Houthis denied responsibility for this attack. As the remainder of February progressed, it became clear that the fighting had ended. By the 25th, reports indicated that the Houthis, under the conditions that they would remain masked and would not be followed, had agreed to leave their final positions in northern Saada City. Yemeni engineers then cleared homes from mines and booby traps. A United Nations team, including a representative of theCasualties
Death toll
The exact breakdown of the casualties is unknown as neither side has released any casualty figures. However, official news reports on 6 February 2010 claimed that the Yemeni government suffered at least 126 casualties, including 19 tribal fighters, two generals, Sa'dah's regional security chief and three security guards.Yemeni government casualtiesRefugee crisis
Upon the onset of the conflict, camps were set up along the border area between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Other camps and settlements were dispersed throughout the Hajjah, Amran, and Al-Jawf provinces. Aid agencies tried organizing routes through Saudi Arabia, since domestic roads into the country were generally off limits. TheInternational tensions
The conflict took international dimension in late October 2009 with clashes between the Houthis and Saudi security forces near the border. Since the beginning of the operation, the Houthis accusedSee also
* List of modern conflicts in the Middle EastReferences
{{Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict 2009 in Yemen 2010 in Yemen