Yemeni tribes who fight Houthis ‘should not be let down,’ says army

Houthis have destroyed the homes of tribal leaders who support the Yemeni government. (Reuters)

• Cabinet ministers hailed the great role of the tribes in supporting the national army: Cabinet

AL-MUKALLA: The internationally recognized government of Yemen has commended Yemeni tribes that are fighting alongside army troops in the conflict with Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
In a virtual meeting led by Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, the Yemeni Cabinet hailed the role of tribesmen supporting the army amid fighting in Marib, Jawf, Al-Bayda and other contested areas.
According to Yemen’s state news agency, Defense Minister Mohammed Al-Maqdishi told the Cabinet that military support from tribes enabled the army to gain important territory.
“Cabinet ministers hailed the great role of the tribes in supporting the national army and defending the republican system and national principles,” the Cabinet said.
Since the escalation began after a Houthi drone and missile attack killed more than 110 soldiers in Marib, thousands of tribesmen have joined the fight against Houthi offensives that aim to seize control of new areas in northern Yemen, including Marib.
Army officers and military experts said the army would not have been able to liberate areas in central provinces and defend Marib without support from local tribes.
“The tribes have played a great role in supporting the national army. The tribes reinforced the army with fighters, logistics and intelligence, and hosted army troops,” Col. Abdul Basit Al-Baher, a Yemeni army spokesperson in the southern city of Taiz, told Arab News. He added that tribes have historically tilted the balance of any conflict in Yemen in favor of the party they support.
“The Yemeni tribes have revolted against the Houthis since the Houthis want to revive the imamate that allegedly gives them a divine right to rule Yemen,” Al-Baher said, referring to the system of government which existed in northern Yemen before the 1962 revolution.
Amateur videos posted on social media in recent days showed dozens of heavily armed tribesmen in Marib grouping in mountainous areas, before heading to the front line to support government troops.
Fearing tribal rebellions, Houthis have destroyed the homes of tribal leaders who support the Yemeni government and have also warned against rebellion in areas under their control.
Last year, Houthis crushed a rebellion by Houjor tribes in Kousher, in the northern province of Hajja.
Last month, in the central province of Al-Bayda, Houthis stormed Radman district, where tribal leader Yasser Al-Awadhi staged an uprising after Houthis refused to punish local fighters who had killed a woman.
Col. Al-Baher advised the army to extend support to tribes that revolt against the Houthis.
“Many tribes will rise against the Houthis, but fear their reprisal. The government and the coalition should not let them down,” he said.
In Hodeidah, three government soldiers were killed and nine injured on Monday after Houthis attacked an outpost in a remote area in the district of Attuhyta, local media reported.
Meanwhile, the Aden-based national coronavirus committee, a government body recording infections in government areas, said on Monday that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases totaled 1,284, including 345 deaths, after recording 19 new cases and seven deaths in several Yemeni provinces.