Yemen: Gunfire at Saleh Mosque in Sana'a November 29

Event

Local eyewitnesses reported gunfire at the Saleh Mosque (Al-Sabeen district) in Sana'a on Wednesday, November 29. Subsequent reports indicated that the exchange of fire was between pro-Ali Abdullah Saleh supporters and the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, suggesting the alliance between the two groups is weakening. Saleh's General People's Congress (GNC) party reported that Houthi militants stormed the mosque on Wednesday, clashing with pro-Saleh supporters; the ensuing gun battle reportedly killed at least four Saleh sympathizers and wounded six mosque guards. Additional clashes between Houthi and pro-Saleh forces are possible in Sana'a in the coming days.

Context

Houthi forces took control of Sana'a in January 2015, with alleged assistance from former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been ousted in 2012. Yemeni armed forces sympathetic to Saleh formally allied themselves with the Houthi movement in 2016. The pro-Saleh - Houthi alliance controls most of northern Yemen, including many significant population centers, as of late November 2017; the alliance opposes the Saudi-led coalition, the Hadi-led government in Aden and allied forces, and Sunni Islamist extremist organizations such as Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State (IS) in the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. Saudi Arabia claims that Houthi forces are Iranian proxies and have waged an intense air campaign and instituted a blockade on Yemen's air, land, and sea ports to curb the potential expansion of their influence and increasing control over the country's north. Armed clashes between Houthi and pro-Saleh forces left several dead in August.

Yemen has been engaged in a complex and deadly conflict since Houthi rebels started fighting the international coalition-backed government in 2015. In total, approximately 10,000 Yemenis have died in the fighting and around 3 million have been displaced. The war has also sparked a cholera outbreak, which has affected over 925,000 people to date. Approximately 20.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and the crisis has placed an overwhelming strain on the country's struggling health system. Major health facilities have been destroyed in the conflict and aid deliveries are often blocked by rebels, stolen, or destroyed. Yemen is also affected by widespread famine. Approximately 17 million people - two-thirds of the population of Yemen - are food insecure, according to the World Food Program. Human rights organization CARE reports that roughly two-thirds of the population is without regular access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Advice

The security environment in Yemen remains complex. Due to poor security conditions, many Western governments strongly advise their citizens against all travel to Yemen. Travel to the country should only be considered with proper security protocols in place. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.