Bekijk volle/desktop versie : Jemenitische rebellen breken akkoord, soldaten dood



12-02-2010, 14:21
Rebels fired at an Interior Ministry official: Al Arabiya
Yemen soldiers dead as rebels break truce

SANAA (Al Arabiya, Agencies)

Yemeni Shiite rebels opened fire on an official at the Interior Ministry, violating a ceasefire with the government, Al Arabiya television said on Friday.

The provincial commander of the Yemeni army said the rebels tried to kill him as they killed several soldiers in a spate of attacks that breached a ceasefire just hours after it came into force.

"I escaped an assassination attempt by the rebels who opened fire on my car," the head of army operations for Saada province, General Mohammed Abdullah al-Qussi, told AFP.

" The rebels broke the ceasefire and carried out a series of attacks in Iqab district which resulted in dead and wounded among our troops "
General Mohammed Abdullah al-Qussi

"The rebels broke the ceasefire and carried out a series of attacks in Iqab district which resulted in dead and wounded among our troops," Qussi added.

It was the first report of violations of the ceasefire between the government and the rebels which came into force at midnight (2100 GMT Thursday).

In the far north hard by the Saudi border, the Saada province has been one of the bastions of the rebels.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh had announced on Thursday a ceasefire in Yemen's six-month campaign against rebels in a conflict that spilled over into Saudi territory in the north.

The ceasefire would kick in from midnight (212D GMT on Thursday), Saleh had said in a decree that was read out on state television.

"We decided to stop military operations in the northwest from midnight," the president declared.

The leader of Houthi rebels in turn ordered his fighters to abide by the ceasefire with the Yemeni government, a rebel statement had said.

"According to what was agreed upon, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi issued instructions to all fronts and fighting sites to stop firing coinciding with the timing announced by the government," the statement had said.

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/02/12/100167.html