Yemen's President Hadi orders military to be on high alert and 'ready for battle'

The Yemeni military was instructed by their President to be on high alert and ready for battle after the country suffered an attack on Saturday by Houthi rebels who are allegedly backed by Iran. The rebels attacked a military training camp in Yemen's city of Marib and killed 73 people and wounded dozens more.

Strong stance

In his statement, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi said the attack by the rebels proved that the Houthis have no desire for peace. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack`. According to reports, the attack targeted a mosque which is 170 kilometres east to the capital Sanaa as people gathered for prayer. Reports have also claimes that dozens of Huthi militia were also killed or injured in the attack.

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Saudi state media is reporting the death toll to be 60. Yemen has become a ground for a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. According to Yemen’s official news agency, Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi had earlier condemned the ‘cowardly’ terror attack. 

Conflict 

Yemen has been the worst hit due to the ongoing armed conflict between Houthi rebels and a coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2015, Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in the conflict on request of former Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and the continued fighting has caused disproportionate suffering for the civilians.

Amnesty International, a London-based human rights organisation, had said in a report that Yemen’s war has been characterized by unlawful bombings, displacement and a dearth of basic services, leaving many struggling to survive.

“The humanitarian response is overstretched, but people with disabilities – who are already among those most at risk in armed conflict – should not face even greater challenges in accessing essential aid,”  said Rawya Rageh, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced in the war that has ravaged the country, triggering what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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