Houthi gunmen ‘kill 5 Salafists’ in Saada, Yemen

Five Salafists were killed in Yemen on Thursday by gunmen linked to the Shiite Houthi Group, in the largely Houthi-controlled city of Saada, a Salafist source said. The news comes just a few days after Yemeni authorities announced that conflict between the two groups had ended.  A Salafist source told Arab Today that several Houthi gunmen opened fire on Salafists attempting to cross a checkpoint in the northern city, leaving five dead and four wounded.  The armed group imprisoned the injured individuals and kept the bodies of the five who were killed, said the source, who also provided Arab Today with a list of the victims’ names. The story could not be independently verified.  Saada has been the site of clashes between Salafists and Houthis for years, and some observers fear current tensions could lead to sectarian violence spreading to other parts of Yemen.  The Yemeni capital of Sanaa also witnessed numerous confrontations between Houthi and Salafist groups during the holy month of Ramadan, over the right to control mosques.