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Operation Scorched Earth
Operation Scorched Earth (Arabic: عملية الأرض المحروقة) was the code-name of a Yemeni military offensive in the Saada Governorate that began in August 2009. It marked the fifth wave of violence during the ongoing insurgency by the Houthis against the government. In November 2009, the conflict spread across the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia. This conflict led to the Saudi military's incursion into Yemen, marking the first military operation conducted by Saudi Arabia since 1991.
Skirmishes and clashes between the two sides began in June 2009, when nine foreigners were abducted during a picnic in the Saada Governorate. Three bodies were found which belonged to a South Korean teacher and two German nurses. In addition, two German children were freed in May 2010 by Saudi and Yemeni forces. The remaining party members are still missing, and their current status is unknown. It remains unclear who was behind the abduction. Initial official statements suggested Houthi rebels had seized the group. However, according to Yemen's news agency, Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of the kidnapping and the three subsequent murders. A spokesman for the insurgents accused regional tribes of being responsible for the kidnappings and slayings.
A government committee criticized the fighters for not abiding by an agreement to end hostilities announced by the Yemeni president in July 2008. In July and early August 2009, local officials said the fighters had taken control of parts of the Saada Governorate, including a vital army post near the province's capital.
After the government promised to adopt an "iron fist" policy against the rebels, Yemeni troops backed by tanks and fighter aircraft launched a major offensive on rebel strongholds on 11 August 2009. Air, artillery, and missile attacks targeted the Malaheedh, Mahadher, Khafji, and Hasama districts, including the headquarters of the rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
After two days of bombardment, the Yemeni government offered ceasefire terms to the rebels, which included demands for information on the six hostages who disappeared back in June. The rebels rejected the terms, and the fighting continued. After three weeks, the provincial capital Sa'dah was further cut off. Mobile landlines were suspended after the Houthis shelled a communications tower in the neighboring Amran province. The rebels held out in Sa'dah neighborhoods and old mountain fortresses around the city.
In September, the first of many ceasefires was agreed. The Yemeni army pushed to secure the road that links Sa'dah to Harf Sufyan, launching salvos of shells to "demine" and "remove bombs" for humanitarian convoys. On 17 September, an airstrike claimed the lives of more than 80 people in a camp for displaced people in the 'Amran Governorate'. On the same day, rebels and government forces also saw massive military action around Sa'dah. Yemeni press releases and military officials claimed that several Houthi leaders were among the dead.
Another ceasefire was agreed on 19 September in commemoration of the Islamic holiday, Eid ul-fitr. The government announced on state television that the ceasefire would go into effect for three days, with the possibility of becoming a permanent ceasefire upon certain conditions being met. The Houthis responded by saying they would abide by the ceasefire in exchange for prisoners, some of which they claimed had been held for years.
However, both sides claimed that the other had not laid down arms. The Houthis asserted that the government continued air and rocket attacks. In contrast, the government claimed the Houthis launched attacks in the Amran and Saada provinces. A Human Rights Watch report noted how the Houthis attacked the village of Mudaqqa on 16 September, prompting a government response.
Operation Scorched Earth
Operation Scorched Earth (Arabic: عملية الأرض المحروقة) was the code-name of a Yemeni military offensive in the Saada Governorate that began in August 2009. It marked the fifth wave of violence during the ongoing insurgency by the Houthis against the government. In November 2009, the conflict spread across the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia. This conflict led to the Saudi military's incursion into Yemen, marking the first military operation conducted by Saudi Arabia since 1991.
Skirmishes and clashes between the two sides began in June 2009, when nine foreigners were abducted during a picnic in the Saada Governorate. Three bodies were found which belonged to a South Korean teacher and two German nurses. In addition, two German children were freed in May 2010 by Saudi and Yemeni forces. The remaining party members are still missing, and their current status is unknown. It remains unclear who was behind the abduction. Initial official statements suggested Houthi rebels had seized the group. However, according to Yemen's news agency, Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of the kidnapping and the three subsequent murders. A spokesman for the insurgents accused regional tribes of being responsible for the kidnappings and slayings.
A government committee criticized the fighters for not abiding by an agreement to end hostilities announced by the Yemeni president in July 2008. In July and early August 2009, local officials said the fighters had taken control of parts of the Saada Governorate, including a vital army post near the province's capital.
After the government promised to adopt an "iron fist" policy against the rebels, Yemeni troops backed by tanks and fighter aircraft launched a major offensive on rebel strongholds on 11 August 2009. Air, artillery, and missile attacks targeted the Malaheedh, Mahadher, Khafji, and Hasama districts, including the headquarters of the rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
After two days of bombardment, the Yemeni government offered ceasefire terms to the rebels, which included demands for information on the six hostages who disappeared back in June. The rebels rejected the terms, and the fighting continued. After three weeks, the provincial capital Sa'dah was further cut off. Mobile landlines were suspended after the Houthis shelled a communications tower in the neighboring Amran province. The rebels held out in Sa'dah neighborhoods and old mountain fortresses around the city.
In September, the first of many ceasefires was agreed. The Yemeni army pushed to secure the road that links Sa'dah to Harf Sufyan, launching salvos of shells to "demine" and "remove bombs" for humanitarian convoys. On 17 September, an airstrike claimed the lives of more than 80 people in a camp for displaced people in the 'Amran Governorate'. On the same day, rebels and government forces also saw massive military action around Sa'dah. Yemeni press releases and military officials claimed that several Houthi leaders were among the dead.
Another ceasefire was agreed on 19 September in commemoration of the Islamic holiday, Eid ul-fitr. The government announced on state television that the ceasefire would go into effect for three days, with the possibility of becoming a permanent ceasefire upon certain conditions being met. The Houthis responded by saying they would abide by the ceasefire in exchange for prisoners, some of which they claimed had been held for years.
However, both sides claimed that the other had not laid down arms. The Houthis asserted that the government continued air and rocket attacks. In contrast, the government claimed the Houthis launched attacks in the Amran and Saada provinces. A Human Rights Watch report noted how the Houthis attacked the village of Mudaqqa on 16 September, prompting a government response.