Houthi militias plan to separate from Yemen’s Saleh amid fears

It appears that former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is nicknamed the “fox” due to his expertise in political maneuvering with his friends before his enemies, is approaching a new phase in his career, this time in regards to his ties with his allies, the Houthi insurgents.

The Houthis announced on Monday the termination of the reconciliation reached with Saleh in September 2014, marking the beginning of possibly one of the most dangerous chapters in the former president’s political career. Informed Yemeni sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation in Sana’a has reached a boiling point and that the next 48 hours may witness “a heavy blow” dealt by one side to the other.

According to the obtained information, armed Houthis have come very close to Saleh’s al-Sabeen security zone, while pro-Saleh forces have started to depart Sana’a in anticipation of a possible siege against them. These developments come at a time when a Yemeni source said that the Houthi militia decided to end its alliance with Saleh and prepare to implement a plan that will see his arrest and transfer to the Saada province.

No official information has been released to confirm this scenario. Yemeni security and political researcher Mohammed al-Walas said that this information may have been deliberately leaked to test Saleh’s alliance.

What is certain however, he added is that Saleh’s arrest and transfer to Saada has become one of the main options for the Houthis in order to uncover the former president’s secret files that he still keeps to himself in regards to his local and foreign ties.

On the other hand, Saudi-led Arab Coalition air forces, backing the official government in Yemen, pounded a military target in Hajjah governorate, said well-informed sources within the coalition.

More importantly, the target destroyed was a telecommunications base used by Houthi militiamen, and was taken out two days after coalition forces destroyed a ballistic missile launchpad, delivering a severe blow to militia ranks.

Sources also pointed out that the communications center was active at the time of targeting.

“The center is a legitimate military target wedged in rural area in-between mountains, isolated on high altitude. Available intelligence showed that this center was being utilized by Houthi armed militias to direct combatants,” sources added.

Coalition aircraft destroyed two days ago a platform to launch ballistic missiles, in the province of Hajjah northwest of Yemen.

Sources pointed out that coalition forces launched several raids on putschist targets in that region, which compromised their military might and managed to exact losses among militia personnel.

The ballistic missile launchpad was destroyed shortly after it had launched a projectile pointed towards Saudi borders. Despite camouflage, the missile launchpad was successfully taken out.

The Yemeni army earlier announced the death of a high-ranking Houthi commander named Ali Abdul-Malik Sharafuddin, who was killed in a coalition airstrike alongside a number of his companions in Midi, another Hajjah governorate city.

On the other hand, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement announced being deeply saddened by the death of Dr. Abdulah Alkhamesi, founder of the Yemen Red Crescent Society in 1973 and its leader for nearly three decades.

Alkhamesi was known within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as a man with a deep belief in humanity, who worked tirelessly in the service of his fellow human beings.

The death of Alkhamesi was hastened by a lack of essential medical supplies, yet another indication of the collapsing health system in Yemen—a direct consequence of the conflict and the debilitating restrictions on imports such as much-needed drugs and medical supplies.

The situation in Yemen is dire, with less than half of the hospitals and clinics still open. Medical staff and Yemen Red Crescent staff and volunteers continue to carry out their tasks as best they can despite acute shortages.

The Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) continue to uphold the same humanitarian commitment that guided Alkhamesi throughout his life—to help and support the people living in Yemen, said the organization in a statement published to their official website