Houthi insurgency

The Houthi insurgency, often called the Sa'dah Wars, is a major military rebellion in Yemen. It began as a localized conflict involving the Zaidi Shia Houthi movement. The group started in the Sa'dah Governorate in northwestern Yemen. Over time, this rebellion escalated into a much larger civil war. It has affected many regions and involved international intervention.

The roots of the conflict reach back to 1962. During that year, a revolution in North Yemen ended a thousand years of rule by Zaidi Imams. These leaders claimed descent from the Hashemites. After they lost power, the Sa'dah region was often ignored economically. This led to underdevelopment in the north. The Zaydi community also felt that the government allowed Wahhabi groups to become too powerful. Wahhabis are a group that follows a strict version of Sunni Islam from Saudi Arabia. This tension between religious groups created deep divisions within Yemen.

The immediate spark for the fighting occurred in 2004. The Yemeni government tried to arrest a Zaidi religious leader named Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. He had been a member of parliament. The government even placed a $55,000 bounty on his head. The Houthis accused President Ali Abdullah Saleh of corruption. They also criticized him for being backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia. The government argued the Houthis wanted to overthrow the republic. They claimed the rebels wanted to implement Zaidi religious law.

The conflict moved through several distinct phases of intense fighting. In the first phase in 2004, government troops battled Houthi supporters. Between 500 and 1,000 people died during this period. Hussein al-Houthi was killed by Yemeni forces on September 10, 2004. After his death, his brother Abdul-Malik al-Houthi took leadership of the movement. His father, Badreddin al-Houthi, became the spiritual leader.

Fighting surged again in 2005 and 2007. In 2005, the government reported 552 deaths and over $270 million in economic damage. By 2007, the violence became even more widespread. In that year alone, about 1,500 people were killed. This included 800 government troops, 600 rebels, and 100 civilians. A ceasefire was reached in June 2007. Under this deal, rebel leaders agreed to go into exile in Qatar. The government promised to help with reconstruction and the return of displaced people.

The war took on an international dimension between 2009 and 2010. In August 2009, the government launched Operation Scorched Earth. This offensive used tanks and fighter aircraft against the rebels. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from their homes. In November 2009, the Houthis attacked the border of Saudi Arabia. They seized the village of Al Khubah and other areas in the Jabal al-Dukhan region. Saudi Arabia responded with heavy air strikes to protect its territory.

The scale of the conflict changed completely in late 2014. During this time, the Houthis took control of the capital city, Sanaa. This event turned the insurgency into a full-scale civil war. In March 2015, a major military intervention led by Saudi Arabia began. The fighting spread to several neighboring governorates. These include Hajjah, 'Amran, and al-Jawf. The conflict remains a significant part of the history of the region.