Houthis to join Yemen security forces
Houthis to join Yemen security forces
Officials seek to quell protests by incorporating Houthi militiamen into its security forces.
1 min read
Houthi militiamen in Sanaa [Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images]
Armed Houthis are to be included in Yemen's security forces, according to a senior official at the Yemeni Ministry of Interior.
"They will be trained and given uniforms," confirmed Colonel Abdul Razzaq al-Moayad, Sanaa's chief of police, speaking on the Yemeni Azal television channel on Tuesday.
Some 2,000 Houthis will join official security forces in Sanaa under the deal, an informed political source told al-Araby al-Jadeed.
"The deal was witnessed by a senior government official from outside the ministry. It was made in reaction to growing popular protests [Ar] demanding the expulsion of armed militias from Sanaa and other governorates," added the source, who asked to remain anonymous.
"This is a positive move as long as the Houthis are spread across different units to prevent them forming their own units."
The armed Shia insurgent group took control of parts of Sanaa in September 2014. After seizing the capital, the Houthis moved west towards the cities of al-Hadida and Hajja, and south towards the governorates of Dhamar, Ibb and al-Bayda. Armed resistance against their expansion has led to hundreds of deaths and injuries.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
"They will be trained and given uniforms," confirmed Colonel Abdul Razzaq al-Moayad, Sanaa's chief of police, speaking on the Yemeni Azal television channel on Tuesday.
Some 2,000 Houthis will join official security forces in Sanaa under the deal, an informed political source told al-Araby al-Jadeed.
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[The deal] was made in reaction to growing popular protests demanding the expulsion of armed militias from Sanaa. |
"The deal was witnessed by a senior government official from outside the ministry. It was made in reaction to growing popular protests [Ar] demanding the expulsion of armed militias from Sanaa and other governorates," added the source, who asked to remain anonymous.
"This is a positive move as long as the Houthis are spread across different units to prevent them forming their own units."
The armed Shia insurgent group took control of parts of Sanaa in September 2014. After seizing the capital, the Houthis moved west towards the cities of al-Hadida and Hajja, and south towards the governorates of Dhamar, Ibb and al-Bayda. Armed resistance against their expansion has led to hundreds of deaths and injuries.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
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