The Iran-backed Houthi militias continued their offensive against the Hujour tribes in Yemen’s northern Hajjah province, raising questions over the fate of resistance movement leaders.
Local sources said that contact has been lost with the area, leaving the fate of the tribal resistance commanders unknown.
Sources close to leading tribal figure Abou Moslem al-Hujouri denied reports of his death, saying he had turned himself over to the Houthis in exchange for them to refrain from attacking his relatives and residents of his hometown of al-Zaakira.
This did not deter the militants from destroying houses in the village and arresting a number of his relatives.
The sources did not rule out the possibility that the Houthis could later murder Hujouri.
They also denied the death of tribal elder Mohammed al-Omari, confirming that he has been wounded, but his location is unknown.
In wake of the repeated Houthi violations in the area, local authorities in Hajjah declared the Kashar district a disaster zone.
They cited the Houthis’ razing of houses, murder of innocents and kidnapping of dozens of citizens. It also slammed them for imposing a siege on the area that is barring the delivery of food and medicine.
They called on international agencies to assume their humanitarian responsibilities and the international community to immediately intervene to put an end to the Houthis’ brutal practices in Kashar.
The region has been under siege by the Houthis for two months.
Activists fear that the Houthis would commit genocide in the area in retaliation against the locals, who had stood against the militias since they started expanding their control across northern Yemen in 2011 and 2012.
