SANAA, 9 April 2005 — Scores of people were killed yesterday as supporters of firebrand Shiite preacher Badruddin Al-Houthi went on a shooting spree in the northwestern Yemeni town of Saada.

Security sources told Arab News that the shooting, which broke out early in the morning, subsided by afternoon. But sources close to the local administration said troops were hunting for some 60 rebels believed to be hiding in the city. More than 70 rebels were killed in clashes with government forces on Wednesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s opposition parties yesterday appealed to the country’s Parliament to investigate the army crackdown on Shiite rebels in Saada.

Six major opposition parties called on the House of Deputies to “swiftly form a panel empowered to initiate a candid and honest investigation” into the operation.

In a strong-worded statement, the parties said the proposed panel “should spare no effort to truthfully and impartially make public all the facts.” They condemned the “excessive use of force and extra-judicial killings.”

The parties, however, denounced all sectarian activities and called on Al-Houthi’s supporters to “abide by the law.”

Five policemen and at least 17 rebels were killed and dozens injured in fierce clashes in several areas of the city, the sources said.

They said dozens of armed followers of Al-Houthi attacked government buildings and police outposts, resulting in violent fighting with the security forces. The city is the base for offices of provincial authorities and government bureaus.

The fighting on Wednesday and Thursday, which ended with government forces taking control of rebel outposts in the province, also left more than 30 soldiers and police dead or wounded, pro-government tribal sources said. An undetermined number of civilians were also killed or wounded.

Residents of Saada town said members of the Believing Youth group sneaked into the city at dawn and took over a number of buildings from which they sniped at army and police units.

Government forces were meanwhile still trying to track down followers of Al-Houthi in mountain regions. “More than 70 (Al-Houthi) followers were killed in the fighting which went on throughout Wednesday and until Thursday night. Their bodies were found in the mountain hideouts from which they had been resisting authorities,” a tribal source said.

The source said government forces suffered most of their casualties when counter-terrorism units parachuted onto mountaintops overlooking the rebels’ strongholds in Razamat and Wadi Nushur (Nushur Valley) on Thursday.

Troops stormed rebel positions in Razamat, Wadi Nushur and Al-Shafia, wresting control of the outposts Thursday night.

Government troops are also trying to track down the ground commanders of the rebel group, chiefly Abdullah Ayedh Al-Razami, Yussef Al-Madani and the preacher’s brother, Abdul Malak, after dozens of militants were reportedly rounded up.

Military sources confirmed that troops had seized control of rebel positions, saying the insurgents had retreated to Um Issa mountain and an area called Al-Salah.

Yesterday’s clash was the latest confrontation between government forces and rebels loyal to Al-Houthi since the fighting between the two sides broke out again on March 28, leaving more than 190 people dead. Dozens more have been injured on both sides.

The government has blamed Badruddin Al-Houthi, father of the slain cleric Hussein Al-Houthi, for the fresh round of violence in Saada, which borders Saudi Arabia.

Britain Closes Embassy

Britain said yesterday it was suspending all operations at its embassy in Yemen after receiving a credible security threat. “We have had a credible security threat which we are obviously taking very seriously so we are suspending all operations in the British embassy,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in London.

“Obviously it’s closed today anyway because it’s a weekend in Yemen. But the embassy will remain closed tomorrow until further notice,” he added. “The only thing I can say is that there has been a current and credible threat and we have taken the precautionary measure of suspending all operations from Saturday.”

— With input from agencies