Yemen - clashes

Two soldiers, 16 Shia rebels killed in north Yemen

Article published on the 2009-08-14 Latest update 2009-08-14 14:01 TU

Smoke rises from a bomb dropped on Haidan, in northern Yemen, 12 August 2009.
(Photo: Reuters)

Two soldiers and 16 rebels have been killed in the north of Yemen on Friday, according to officials, as government tanks and warplanes bombarded rebel bases for a fourth day.

Fighting has shifted away from the region's main town, Saada, towards the mountainous province's southern border with Omran, just 70 kilometrs north of the capital Saana.

A state of emergency, imposed on Tuesday, will "lifted only when the rebels have been crushed", said provincial Governor Hassan Mohammed Manaa.

He has accused the Shia-Muslim rebels of kidnapping and beating 15 Red Crescent staff from a camp for displaced people and killing four tribal leaders and 15 other civilians. Manaa says that 17,000 families have fled their homes beause of the fighting.

The rebels have dismissed a government ultimatum late Thursday, which said they should evacuate government buildings they are occupying, turn over ammunition and equipment and free prisoners if they want a ceasefire,

The authorities also demanded information on the whereabouts of six Europeans thought to be held by the rebels.

The insurgents must the government said.

Five German and one British citizen are believed to be held by the rebels. Their female companions, two German and one Korean, have been discovered dead.

The rebels say that the government offensive is producing heavy civilian casualties. They report 15 people were killed in a single attack on an open-air market near Saada.

The rebels are Shia Muslims, who are a minority in Yemen’s largely Sunni population. They have been engaged in an on-again off-again war with the central government since 1962 coup when the Zaidi imamate government was overthrown.