Tribal fighters seize militia men

Tribal fighters in Yemen’s Shabwah province and the governorate of Abyan took 15 Houthi militias as hostages, Al Arabiya News Channel reported on Sunday.
Preparations to expel Houthi militia from Ataq, Shabwah’s main city, were ongoing, the commander of a coalition of tribes in Shabwah said, adding that forces allied to deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh facilitated the entry of Houthis into the city.
Meanwhile, scores of Houthis were killed in Taez in two ambushes set up by the Popular Resistance Committees, local tribes allied with Yemen’s exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi militia, has been killed in Saudi-led airstrikes over the past week.
Former Dubai police chief Dhahi Khalfan said he was sure the rebel leader was killed on Saturday and that the militia was busy with his funeral.
“The disappearance of Houthis is an evidence they are or being busy with the funeral of their leader,” Khalfan said in his Twitter message. “Where are the Houthis? Are they busy with the funeral? There is an important funeral in Yemen,” the message said.
Khalfan challenged that if the Houthi leader is alive, he should immediately appear on TV.
Saudi bloggers backed Khalfan’s prediction and hoped that it would end the war in Yemen.