Houthi Rebel Groups Hit Back

At least three separate attacks have occurred recently in the conflict between the Houthi rebel group and the Saudi Arabian-backed Yemini military. At least 50 people died in Taiz and Damt, in southern Yemen, over the weekend of November 8. The latest conflict culminated with the Yemini forces loyal to former President Mansour Hadi taking control over Damt. However, the military chess match between the two groups continued as the Houthis took strategic locations close to the Al-Anad Air Base. A roadside bomb killed 16 Yemini government soldiers in the province of Marib on November 9.

The tragedy persisted on Nov. 13, when a mosque regularly attended by Houthis was bombed during Friday prayer, killing several worshippers. The back and forth fighting has continued as the Houthis fired at a military base in the southern al-Dalea region, to which the Yemini forces responded by killing 14 Houthi rebels in their cars.

The death toll in Yemen has now reached over 5,600 for the past seven months. After a decline in conflict in October, it appears as though Yemen is due for a turbulent November. This rise in violence came as the failed peace process faltered in October.

“All understandings for a political solution leading to the cessation of aggression have failed,” claimed the Houthi spokesperson. Blaming both U.S. and Saudi aggression, the Houthis decried the attempt at a pacifist solution for Yemen. It appears as though Yemen will continue to see violence, with no clear end in sight.