Saudi warplanes keep hitting northern Yemen

Saudi fighter jets have launched another round of aerial bombardment of Houthi positions in northern parts of Yemen along the border with the oil-rich kingdom.

According to a statement released by the fighters on Monday, Saudi forces carried out 22 aerial raids on al-Malaheet, Shada and Jebel Razih regions as well as villages in close proximity to Jebel al-Ramih.

The statement added that Saudi forces had fired some 480 rockets at rugged regions in the north.

The incident came on the same day as Yemeni fighter jets launched 18 air strikes against civilian-populated areas inside the mountainous districts of al-Jawf province, the statement added.

The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana’a and Houthi fighters. The conflict intensified in August 2009 when the Yemeni army launched Operation Scorched Earth in an attempt to crush the fighters in the northern province of Sa’ada.

The Houthis accuse the Yemeni government of violation of their civil rights, political, economic and religious marginalization as well as large-scale corruption.

Saudi forces began fighting with Yemeni Shia resistance fighters, known as Huthis, and bombing their positions on November 4 after accusing the fighters of killing Saudi border guards.

Houthi fighters say that Saudi forces strike Yemeni villages and indiscriminately target civilians. According to the fighters, Saudis use toxic materials, including white phosphorus bombs indiscriminately in northern Yemen.

The US military also has been involved in bombing Yemen’s northern beleaguered regions of Amran, Hajjah and Sa’ada, according to Houthi fighters.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that since 2004, up to 175,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Sa’ada and take refuge at overcrowded camps set up by the United Nations.