Houthi rebels parade in Sanaa on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Houthi rebels parade in Sanaa on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Houthi rebels parade in Sanaa on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Houthi rebels parade in Sanaa on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

Houthis eliminating thousands of Saleh supporters, defector from rebel government says


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  • Arabic

Yemen's Houthi rebels are eliminating thousands of members of the General People's Congress party of Ali Abdullah Saleh, their former ally whom they killed this month, a senior member has said.

The rebels arrested 3,000 Saleh loyalists and 2,000 others have disappeared in recent weeks, Nawra Al Garwi said after fleeing from Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, to neighbouring Marib province.

Ms Al Garwi, who served as deputy minister of youth and sports, confirmed to Al Arabiya that the rebels had stormed the homes of Saleh's daughters and aunts in Sanaa.

Sources said that she decided to flee after a spate of arrests, kidnappings and killings following Saleh's death and on learning that the rebels were searching for her because she had led women's protests to demand the return of his body.

The Houthis killed Saleh as he was trying to flee Sanaa on December 4, days after the former Yemeni president broke off his alliance with the Iran-backed rebels and called for talks with the Saudi-led military coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.

Ms Al Garwi called for GPC members and Saleh supporters to join the government forces in the fight against the Houthi rebels.

Government forces backed the Saudi-led coalition have made a series of gains against the rebels in recent weeks and on Saturday reclaimed "strategic areas" in eastern Sanaa province.

Troops and fighters loyal to the government of president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi captured the mountains of Dahshush, Jabal Al Tafaha, Tabat Al Qanaseen and Jabal Al Mashna, an army spokesman said.

The Yemeni forces killed 28 rebels and wounded dozens of others, he said in a statement carried by state news agency Wam.

Dozens of Houthi rebels have been killed by snipers in the past two weeks, a security source said on Sunday. 

“Two Houthis were shot and killed by a sniper with silencers yesterday in the Shoub area in Sanaa,” the source said, adding that created fear among the rebels because they " didn't know where the shots were coming from". 

Meanwhile, more than 20 Houthi fighters surrendered to Yemeni troops in the Bayhan district of Shabwa, joining the dozens of rebels who have surrendered in the southern province in the past two weeks, the Yemeni defence ministry’s 26 September news website reported. 

A spokesman for the Yemeni army said the Houthi rebels were "suffering major losses" on all fronts — in Hodeidah and Taez provinces in the west as well as in the northern provinces of Al Jawf and Saada, a stronghold of the rebels.

"They are suffering major losses day after day as our military forces tighten their grip over the lands which they control," Maj Gen Abdo Majali said on Sunday.

"They were wiped out from Shabwa, and the last posts in Al Safara and Haid bin Akeel were liberated, along with the road that links Shabwa, Marib and Al Bayda provinces," he said.

"Al Bayda province will also soon be liberated as the main road is clear now."

Maj Gen Majali said Yemeni authorities had also arrested a number of high-ranking Houthi officials along with loyalists, who were "engineers and responsible for the thousands of landmines planted in various places they controlled".

He said they had recovered maps detailing landmine positions that had been printed in Tehran, where most of the engineers were trained.

There was fierce fighting yesterday between government forces in Al Hamily and Al Nujaiba in the Taez province, as well as in Hodeidah, a military source told The National.

At least 20 Houthis were killed and 16 were injured, while three fighters were killed on the government side, the source said.

More than 10,000 people have been killed so far in Yemen's civil war, which began after the Houthis overran Sanaa in September 2014. The Saudi-led coalition, which includes the UAE, intervened on behalf of the government in March 2015.

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Read more

UN condemns Houthi ballistic missile against Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthis 'kidnap' daughter of Saleh's personal guard

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010.9-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%20IPS%20LCD%2C%202%2C360%20x%201%2C640%2C%20264ppi%2C%20wide%20colour%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20Apple%20Pencil%201%20support%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EChip%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A14%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%204-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2064GB%2F256GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPadOS%2016%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012-megapixel%20wide%2C%20f%2F1.8%2C%205x%20digital%2C%20Smart%20HDR%203%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full%20HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20ultra-wide%2C%20f%2F2.4%2C%202x%2C%20Smart%20HDR%203%2C%20Centre%20Stage%3B%20full%20HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Stereo%20speakers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%2C%20smart%20connector%20(for%20folio%2Fkeyboard)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%2010%20hours%20on%20Wi-Fi%3B%20up%20to%209%20hours%20on%20cellular%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinish%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Blue%2C%20pink%2C%20silver%2C%20yellow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPad%2C%20USB-C-to-USB-C%20cable%2C%2020W%20power%20adapter%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%20%E2%80%94%20Dh1%2C849%20(64GB)%20%2F%20Dh2%2C449%20(256GB)%3B%20cellular%20%E2%80%94%20Dh2%2C449%20(64GB)%20%2F%20Dh3%2C049%20(256GB)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:

Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')

Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)

Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The biog

Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb

Age: 57

From: Kalba

Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge

Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

 

War and the virus
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS

England v New Zealand

(Saturday, 12pm UAE)

Wales v South Africa

(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)

 

While you're here
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900