Houthi killings of tribal leaders condemned

Yemen’s internationally recognised government yesterday condemned the killing of a tribal leader by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Fighting between two tribal groups loyal to the rebels resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people in the north-western Amran province on Sunday.

Mujahed Kashira, a tribal leader who once fought alongside the Houthis, was killed after being accused of defecting.

A video shared online showed gunmen attacking Kashira’s lifeless body as they dragged it through a street.

“The assassination of Sheikh Mujahed Kashira and the abuse of his dead body is compared to ISIS and those extreme groups,” said the Yemeni minister of human rights, Mohamed Askar.

“How can the government deal with individuals who support such brutality? In order for peace efforts to develop, perpetrators must be held accountable, and until that is achieved then violence will continue,” he said.

Kashira joined the rebels in 2014 in capturing Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, an act that triggered the country’s civil war.

Internal conflicts between the Houthis and their tribal allies are pushing the rebels to remove some prominent figures to attract supporters, Baraa Shiban, a Yemeni human rights activist, told The National.

“Those tribal leaders were holding some influence over their followers, which prompted Houthi leaders to compete with them,” Mr Shiban said.

It is believed the rebels have killed dozens of tribal leaders since April.

“This is horrific and very new to Yemeni culture,” Mr Shiban said.

Houthi rebels said four of their forces were killed while trying to arrest Kashira. After his death, they reportedly arrested

A video shared online showed gunmen attacking Mujahed Kashira’s lifeless body

dozens of his supporters in the town of Rayda.

At least 18 people, including Houthi leaders. have been wounded in the clashes that followed.

Since the civil war began in 2015, tens of thousands of people have been killed, the World Health Organisation has said.

The conflict has also displaced millions and left 24.1 million people – more than two thirds of the population – in need of aid.