Operation Scorched Earth

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Operation Scorched Earth ( Arabic عملية الأرض المحروقةEng .: Operation Scorched Earth; see: Scorched Earth ) was a military offensive by the Yemeni military against the Huthi -Rebellen in the northern Saada Governorate from August 2009. This military action was the fifth wave of violence in the Houthi conflict of zaiditisch - Shiite Houthis against the government. In November 2009, the fighting spilled over the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia , whereupon Saudi Arabia itself intervened in the fighting and even invaded Yemen: the first military operation since 1991 carried out by Saudi Arabia.

background

Skirmishes and skirmishes between the two sides began as early as June 2009. Nine foreigners were kidnapped from a picnic in the Saada region, and the bodies of three, a South Korean teacher and two German nurses, were soon discovered. Five Germans, including three children, and a Briton are still missing. It is also unclear who initiated the kidnapping. The authorities initially announced that the group had been kidnapped by Houthi rebels. The Yemeni news agency later reported that the Houthi held drug cartels responsible for the kidnapping and killing of the three foreigners. A rebel spokesman also named local tribes as the main culprits.

A government committee criticized the fighters for failing to abide by an agreement the president had called for an end to hostilities in 2008. In July and early August 2009, local authorities reported that the rebels had taken control of larger areas of the governorate. They occupied an important military post near the metropolis on a strategically important road that connected the capital Sanaa with Saudi Arabia.

course

August – September 2009

The government announced that it would take an "iron fist" against the rebels and Yemeni troops with tanks and fighter planes launched a major offensive on the rebel bases on August 11, 2009. Air force , artillery and missiles took the districts of Malaheedh , Mahadher , Khafji and Hasama under fire and also the headquarters of the rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Huthi . After two days of bombardment , the Yemeni government sent the rebels conditions for a ceasefire, including requests for information on the fate of the six Europeans who disappeared in June. The rebels rejected these terms and the fighting continued. After three weeks, the provincial capital Sa'da was cut off from communications after the rebels blew up a transmission tower in Amran province. The rebels did not allow themselves to be driven from the area around Sa'da and from the old mountain fortresses around the city.

A fire break was agreed for the first time in September. Within a week, however, the fighting reached a new climax and the Houthis claimed to have made substantial land gains. The Yemeni army pushed for the road connecting Sa'da to Harf Sufyan to be secured . To do this, they bombed the street to "demine" ("remove roadside bombs") for humanitarian transport. On September 17, an air strike claimed more than 80 lives in a refugee camp in ʿAmrān governorate . A group of refugees occupied the camps by Yemeni pilots, after which the armed forces again bombed civilians. Rebels and government troops fought heavy fighting around Sa'da that same day. The Yemeni press and official military officials claimed that several Houthi leaders were among the dead.

Attacks while breaking the fast

Another ceasefire was agreed on September 19 on the occasion of Eid ul-fitr . The government announced that the ceasefire would last three days, with the possibility of agreeing a permanent ceasefire under certain conditions. The Houthi replied that they would keep the ceasefire if there was an exchange of prisoners. Some of the prisoners were held for four years.

However, both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire. The Houthi reported that the government continued the air and missile strikes, while the government claimed that the Houthi carried out attacks in Amran and Saada provinces . A report by Human Rights Watch describes a September 16 attack by the Houthi on the village of Mudaqqa , to which the government responded with bombing.

The rebels gathered their units and attacked Sa'da from three different directions before dawn the next day . Hundreds of attackers with at least 70 vehicles attacked the checkpoints in the city and tried to storm the government palace. After four hours of battle, the attack was repulsed with the help of the Luftwaffe. The government reported 153 rebels killed and 70 prisoners, while mourning only 2 deaths and 20 wounded.

October 2009

The fighting continued into October when the rebels reported they had captured the city of Munabbih , one of fifteen districts in Sa'da governorate.

On October 2, they announced that they have a MiG-21 of the Yemeni air forces in the district of Al Sha'af were shot down. A senior Yemeni military disagreed, claiming the plane crashed due to a technical defect. Contrary to the state media, another military commander claimed that the plane "flew at low altitude" and was hit. Just three days later, a Sukhoi jet crashed northeast of Sa'da in Alanad District ; This time, too, the rebels claimed a shooting down, while the government continued to speak of technical defects. Other reports alleged that these planes were shot down and that Hezbollah agents using shoulder-mounted surface-to-air missiles were responsible. Both the Saudi Al-Arabiya and the Kuwaiti Al-Seyassah news agencies reported that a group of Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon had been killed or captured.

The Yemeni official news agency recorded more heavy fighting in Sa'da on October 9, with the Houthis carrying out suicide attacks and land gains before government forces gained the upper hand, killing around 100 people and wounding more than 280. Dozens more deaths were recorded in the following days. In the tenth week of the offensive, the rebels captured a military base on the Saudi border in the Razih district . The fighters also captured a military center, a government building and the airport.

Somali associations also joined the Houthis in October . About 200 Somali recruits came across the Red Sea by boat and were used mainly on suicide missions in the city of Sa'da. The government later said that 28 Somalis had been captured. Other sources reported that the Somalis were mainly used for entrenchment work (trenches and ammunition hiding places). In December a Somali diplomat complained that many Somali refugees were intercepted and kidnapped by the Houthis fleeing to Saudi Arabia. Many were murdered.

Interference by the Saudis

In early November, the rebels complained that Saudi Arabia allowed the Yemeni army to carry out attacks from Saudi territory from the Jabal al-Dukhan military base , which the Yemeni government denied. The conflict spilled over into neighboring Saudi Arabia and on November 3 a Saudi border patrol was ambushed in a cross-border attack, killing one soldier and wounding 11 others. A second soldier later died from his injuries.

Following this incident, Saudi Arabia moved troops to the border and attacked Houthi positions on November 5. In this F-15 bombers and Tornado jets used. Saudi Arabia denied attacking targets inside Yemen, but six Yemeni locations saw rocket attacks. One of them contained more than 100 missiles in an hour. Residents of the coastal city of Jazan reported aircraft noise and army convoys moving towards the border. The city's King Fahd Hospital has also been put on alert to prepare for the care of the wounded. A Saudi government adviser later said that a decision had not yet been made to send troops across the border, but that Riyadh would no longer tolerate the rebels.

On November 8, Saudi Arabia confirmed that they had crossed the border and regained control of the Jabal al-Dukhan . This mountainous region was to become the main site of fighting between the Saudis and the Houthi in November. Both sides repeatedly claimed to have captured or recaptured the area. At the same time, Jordanian commandos began to support the Saudi troops . The Jordanians have been killed in several attacks.

After the war dragged into December, there were reports that Moroccan special forces had arrived to support the 2,000 Jordanians on the ground. The fighting continued along the borders in December, and in January Samira al-Madani became the first female journalist in Saudi Arabia's history to report from the fighting area. She also interviewed some soldiers and Prince Gazan Mohamed bin Nasser bin Abdul Aziz .

Peace negotiations

The Yemeni government launched an attack on Sa'da on December 7th. The armed forces attacked the barricaded fortresses in the city and the government hoped for a victory within 24 hours. However, the fighting continued until after December 11th, and the rebels still held out in the pockets of resistance. The battle for the city only ended after a week and a half after 200 fighters were arrested. It was said that Abdul Malik al-Houthi was wounded but managed to escape.

On January 1, 2010, the Yemeni High Security Committee proposed a cease-fire, which was initially rejected. The Houthi made their own ceasefire offer for this on January 25. Abdul Malek al-Houthi promised to end the fighting to prevent further casualties among the civilian population and the withdrawal was intended as an offer of peace. Saudi General Said al-Ghamdi confirmed that the Houthi had stopped firing. Prince Khalid bin Sultan announced that the Houthi had been defeated, but did not promise an end to the Saudi bombing.

On January 30, the Houthi accepted the Yemeni government's offer of peace.

Continuation of the fighting

After the ceasefire, the Houthis complained that the Saudis were continuing their air and missile attacks. The situation worsened when the Yemeni government rejected the Houthi ceasefire offer on January 31. The offer was turned down because Abdul Malek al-Houthi demanded that the government cease military operations first. The government continued the offensive, killing 12 Houthi.

In early February, government troops attacked Sa'da again. Saudi Arabia also resumed air strikes. On February 5, a Yemeni court sentenced Yayha al-Houthi , the brother of Abdul-Malek al-Houthi , to 15 years in prison. The Yemeni parliamentarian was convicted in absentia for his involvement in the conflict.

On February 6, the Houthi attacked government units again. In an ambush, they killed 15 soldiers in the Wadi al-Jabara district and another eight soldiers in street battles in Sa'da. Saudi air strikes that day destroyed four civil buildings and wounded two women. The Saudi military fired 174 rockets and mortars at the al-Dhaher , Qamamat , Ghafereh , al-Rammadiat and Shada districts controlled by the rebels.

As a result, fighting broke out again in Amran Governorate and the border area of Malahidh . Houthi had dug trenches and laid land mines, besieging over a hundred Yemeni soldiers. The Yemeni troops broke the siege and withdrew, but lost ten soldiers to Houthi snipers.

The last fighting occurred on February 11, with the loss of five soldiers and thirteen rebels in Amran governorate . There was still fighting in Sa'da, in which seven soldiers and eleven rebels were killed. The Houthi also repulsed an attack in al-Aqab district that killed an unknown number of Yemeni soldiers. Meanwhile, the Saudis carried out 13 air strikes on Harf Sufyan , Jouan and Jebel Talan .

Fight in Sa'da

Around 20,000 refugees fled to the provincial capital during the fighting. The population increase forced the locals to share their homes and supplies with refugees. Street battles and the constant breaches of the armistice put enormous stress on civilians, in addition to hot days and rainy nights. The cellular networks were destroyed at the beginning of the war, which almost completely disrupted communication with the outside world. UN relief workers were forced to leave the city. The few who remained were often locked in.

The government's military operations were mainly concentrated in the northern part of the old city and the districts of Al-Rout , Al-Shaab , Al-Jarba , Al-Toot and Bab Najran . The Bab Najran neighborhood was considered a rebel refuge and was bombed frequently. The Houthi claimed that the government used bulldozers to demolish houses and demolish rebel bases.

A letter from an Islamic Relief official provides a detailed description of the situation: schools became reception centers for refugees and food prices skyrocketed while shops and businesses closed. Mortar fire, snipers and curfews made free movement impossible. The hospital was in the bombed part of the city, so the aid organizations in Sa'da became the only way to find food, water and shelter.

peace contract

On February 12, the Houthis finally accepted the offer of a truce.

A Yemeni general claimed the Houthi broke the ceasefire on February 12. Four soldiers in two districts were killed in addition to an attempt to murder him. The Houthis denied responsibility for this attack. During February it became clear that the fighting had stopped. On the 25th, the Houthi, masked and without persecution, left their last positions in Sa'da. Thereupon Yemeni technical units moved in to vacate apartments and to clear mines and booby traps. A United Nations team with a UNHCR envoy was finally let through to Sa'da and the surrounding refugee camps in April 2010.

Loss & Damage

War dead

The exact data cannot be determined because none of the warring parties published statistics. However, a news report dated February 6, 2010 claims that the government has recorded at least 126 deaths, including 19 tribal warriors, 2 generals Sa'das security chief and 3 security guards. The government also said it killed 600 Houthis in the first two months of the offensive. However, this cannot be verified.

On January 23, 2010, the Saudi government published new figures, which spoke of 133 soldiers killed and 6 missing.

Refugee crisis

Since the start of the new conflict, refugee camps had been set up in the border area between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Other camps were scattered across Hajjah , Amran, and Al-Jawf provinces . Aid organizations used routes through Saudi Arabia because the roads in the country were generally not passable. The international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the Yemeni Red Crescent Society set up three camps for victims of internal displacement on the outskirts and within the city. A fourth camp had to be dismantled and the refugees brought to safety when it was caught in the crossfire. Even before the war, around 120,000 people were on the run due to the previous conflicts.

The village of al-Mazrak in the northwest became the main collection point for refugees with three camps for 23,000 refugees and a further 70,000 outside the camp. UNICEF became the main agency for the establishment of teaching and the employment of teachers. It was also the only camp open to United Nations staff during the war .

International tensions

The conflict escalated internationally in October 2009 when the Houthi attacked Saudi security forces near the border. Since the start of the operation, the Houthis have accused Saudi Arabia of supporting the Yemeni government and carrying out bombings. Previously, the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh held talks with the Saudi Crown Prince Sultan ibn Abd al-Aziz and the Jordanian King Abdullah II in Agadir , Morocco . Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco later supported Yemen in the fight against the Houthi. Morocco, which cut ties with Iran in March this year , suggested that Tehran's support for the Houthi had helped the decision to send troops.

Around this time, Yemen also reported that a ship with anti-tank weapons had been arrested in the Red Sea, with five Iranian specialists also captured. Various Iranian sources replied that these were politically motivated intrigues. The ship did not carry any weapons. In Saana, the government shut down a hospital funded by Iran and it was believed that employees, including eight Iranians, were helping the rebels. The government justified that the services would be closed due to delays in rent payments, but the building was cordoned off by security forces and patients were withheld. When the Hajj took place in November, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that "appropriate measures" would be taken should Iranian pilgrims experience restrictions.

On November 13, the Iranian group Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom sued the Yemeni and Saudi offensive. Two days later, Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani accused the United States of cooperating with the Saudis' campaign. A few days later, Iran announced that it would send warships into the Gulf of Aden to protect the route from Somali pirates . This movement coincided with a sea blockade by the Saudis in the Red Sea to prevent arms shipments from Tehran and Eritrea to the Houthi. Three Saudi warships from Yanbu - Naval Base patrolled in front of the northern Yemen.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Analysis: What is behind Saudi offensive in Yemen. In: Global Post, November 14, 2009.
  2. ↑ a b Mohammed Jamjoom Yemen lays out truce terms to rebel fighters. CNN, Aug 13, 2009.
  3. ↑ a b Yemen targets northern fighters. Al Jazeera English, August 12, 2009.
  4. ↑ a b East - Yemen denies warplane shot down. Al Jazeera English, 2009-10-02.
  5. ^ Yemeni troops and rebels battle around mountain city. AFP, 2009-09-07.
  6. ^ Yemen suspends military operation against rebels English Xinhua, News.xinhuanet.com 2009-09-05.
  7. ↑ Middle East | 'Many killed' in Yemen air raid. BBC News, 2009-09-17
  8. ↑ Sa'ada War Continues in Yemen, No End in Sight, UN Seeks Emergency Aid. Ccun.org September 17, 2009.
  9. ↑ Mobile Bulletin - 1405GMT - Sep 19, 09. YouTube.
  10. ↑ Yemen Announces truce during Muslim holiday. ( Memento of October 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Al Arabiya News Channel 2009-10-05.
  11. ↑ Yemeni army 'kills scores' in Saada. Al Jazeera 2009-09-21.
  12. ^ Robert F. Worth: Yemen's North Hit by Bloodiest Fighting in Years. [1] New York Times 2009-09-20
  13. ↑ a b Many rebels killed in 'repelled attack'. Yemen News Agency 2009-09-20
  14. ^ Yemen rebels raid city, battle with army: military. AFP 2009-10-09.
  15. ^ State-run media: Yemeni military kills 150 rebels. CNN 2009-09-20.
  16. ↑ Trend News: Houthis capture town in northern Yemen. En.trend.az 2010-02-15.
  17. ^ Yemen rebels claim control of northern district.
  18. ^ Second aircraft crash as operations continue in north. Yemen News Agency 2009-10-05.
  19. ↑ Yemeni Fighter Planes Shot down by Hezbollah's Elements. - Yemen Post English Newspaper Online: Yemenpost.net 2009-11-09.
  20. ^ A b Iran and Saudi Arabia drawn to Yemen. Asia Times 2009-11-11.
  21. ↑ Over 100 killed, 280 injured as army repels suicide rebel attack. Yemen News Agency 2009-10-09.
  22. ↑ a b Insurgency faces more losses as 59 more killed. Yemen News Agency 2009-10-12.
  23. ↑ 28 Houthi rebels killed, others injured. Yemen News Agency 2009-10-11.
  24. ↑ Somali refugees 'forced to join Yemen rebel war'. BBC 2009-12-16.
  25. ↑ Saudi jets bomb Yemeni Houthis. Al Jazeera 2009-11-05
  26. ↑ Saudi Forces Bomb Yemeni Rebels on Southern Border. Wall Street Journal 2009-11-06
  27. ↑ Saudi Arabia regains area seized by Yemen rebels. DUBAI (Agencies), Alarabiya.net 2009-11-09.
  28. ^ A b Moroccan, Jordanian Soldiers Fight along Saudi Troops. ( Memento from July 18, 2011 in the web archive archive.today ) Yemen Gazette 2009-12-05.
  29. ↑ Saudi woman journalist covers conflict zone.
  30. ^ Yemen army advance on Houthi rebels in Saada. BBC 2009-12-07.
  31. ↑ Yemen rebels claim capture of Saudi border post. ( Memento from June 8, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Khaleej Times 2009-12-11.
  32. ↑ 200 Houthi rebels arrested in Saada. Saba Net 2009-12-16.
  33. ↑ Rebel leader hurt, flees to another region in Saada. Saba Net 2009-12-20.
  34. ^ Middle East - Saudi-Houthi border fighting ends. Al Jazeera English 2010-01-27.
  35. ↑ Yemen rebels renew ceasefire offer. Al Jazeera English 2010-01-30.
  36. ↑ Yemen rejects Houthi truce offer. Al Jazeera English 2010-01-31
  37. ^ Saada city residents most affected by fighting. ( Memento from September 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Global Arab Network 2009-09-14.
  38. ↑ Humanitarian situation worsens after short-lived truce. ( Memento of September 30, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Global Arab Network 2009-09-06.
  39. ↑ Civilians' plight worsens in north Yemen war zone. Reuters 2009-09-09.
  40. ↑ Fighting in Yemen's rebel north leaves dozens dead. AFP 2009-10-17
  41. ^ Army begins Monday clearing Saada city from rebels. Almotamar.net 2009-12-07.
  42. ↑ Al-Houthis surrender by the dozens. Yemeni Observer 2009-12-12.
  43. ^ Yemeni military crush al-Houthi rebels by tanks. Yemen Observer 2009-11-03
  44. ↑ Military operation in northern Yemen kills 19 rebels. RFI 2010-01-12.
  45. ↑ cut off, hemmed in and slowly running out of food. Islamic Relief 2010-01-11.
  46. ↑ North Yemen calm after truce. Al Jazeera English 2010-02-15.
  47. ↑ a b Yemen sappers enter Shi'ite rebel stronghold. Reuters 2010-02-27
  48. ↑ Yemen's northern rebels quit stronghold. Reuters 2010-02-25
  49. ↑ Displaced Yemenis struggling to recover from north was. ( Memento from September 3, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Middle East Online 2010-04-04.
  50. ↑ Yemeni government casualties: [2] , [3] , [4] , archived copy ( memento of February 3, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ), [5] , archived copy ( memento of July 8, 2011 in the Internet archive ) , Archived copy ( Memento from February 21, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ), [ Archived copy ( Memento from June 8, 2011 in the Internet Archive )], [6] .
  51. ↑ Saudi: Bodies of 20 soldiers found on Yemen border. January 23, 2010.
  52. ↑ Life in war-torn Yemen slowly returns to normal. UNICEF 2010-07-29
  53. ^ Saada city residents most affected by fighting. ( Memento from September 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Global Arab Network 2009-09-14.
  54. ↑ Yemen: IDP camp situation worsens. IRIN 2009-08-27.
  55. ^ Displaced by conflict, students crowd a village school in northern Yemen. UNICEF 2010-02-17.
  56. ↑ Final days of Yemen's was. ( Memento of October 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Al-Ahram Weekly 2010-10-22.
  57. ↑ Yemen rebels 'seize Saudi area'. BBC News 2009-11-04.
  58. ^ Yemen Denies Saudi Air Strikes Against Al-Houthi Rebels. Bernama 2009-08-28.
  59. ^ Yemeni, Saudi, Jordanian talks held in Morocco. Almotamar.net, Saba 2009-09-02.
  60. ↑ Yemenis intercept 'Iranian ship'. BBC News 2009-10-27.
  61. ↑ Yemen's Iran hospital closed for backing rebels ( Memento from September 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive ). Al-Arabiya 2009-10-13.
  62. ↑ Iran sends warships to Yemeni waters. UPI 2009-11-18.

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