Barran Press
Local sources in Al-Bayda governorate (central Yemen) reported on Friday, August 9, 2024, that the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, has deployed new reinforcements to the village of "Hammat Sarar" in the "Walid Rabi' Qifah" district, surrounding it. Meanwhile, tribal mediation efforts are underway to de-escalate the situation.
Sources speaking to Barran Press via phone confirmed that the situation remains tense two days after clashes erupted between Houthi fighters and villagers, who are reportedly entrenched in the outskirts of the village and on high ground.
Regarding the tribal mediation, sources explained that it is ongoing in the village, with villagers refusing to comply with Houthi demands to hand over specific individuals from the Al-Sarar clan, whom the Houthis claim are wanted for security reasons.
The villagers have agreed to hand over any prominent figures from the village as a gesture of goodwill, but insist on the withdrawal of Houthi military forces from the village and a halt to their re-establishment of a presence there. The Houthis have controlled the village since 2025.
Sources reported that Houthi fighters, backed by Iran, attempted to enter the qat farms belonging to the Al-Sarar clan on the outskirts of the village on Thursday night, intending to vandalize and destroy qat trees. However, they clashed with villagers who prevented them from doing so.
On Wednesday, August 7, local sources in Al-Bayda reported clashes between residents of the "Walid Rabi'" district and Houthi fighters, culminating in the villagers taking control of a checkpoint and killing the Houthi fighters stationed there.
Sources told Barran Press that the clashes erupted in the village of "Hammat Sarar" after the Houthis killed a villager and injured another at a checkpoint on the village entrance.
According to sources, Houthi fighters fired on the villager as he was riding his motorcycle, killing him instantly and injuring another villager who was with him. This prompted the villagers to engage in a confrontation with the Houthis, resulting in the deaths of two Houthi fighters and the injury of others.
Social media users shared footage of Houthi fighters surrounding the area, with villagers, including children and women, fleeing. Other footage showed a mosque minaret in the neighborhood on fire.
Al-Bayda governorate (central Yemen) frequently witnesses armed clashes between the Houthi group and local residents who complain of increasing harassment and restrictions imposed by the group. These clashes often result in casualties on both sides, followed by the Houthis demolishing residents' homes and tightening their security grip on the area.