SANA’A, Nov. 13—An alleged Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) video that circulated online on Wednesday said that the militant group will retaliate against armed Houthis in the North, who are currently locked in a violent conflict with Salafis in the Dammaj district of Sa’ada governorate.
The Dammaj conflict between the Zaidi Shiite Houthis and the conservative Sunni Salfis has left dozens dead and countless others seriously injured since fighting began in late October.
Sheikh Harith Al-Nadhari, a suspected AQAP leader, appeared in the online video footage, although Yemen Times could not independently verify the validity of the recording. In the video, Al-Nadhari accuses Houthis of committing “gruesome crimes, killing children and women and storming houses and mosques.”
“For [the Houthis], nothing is sacred. They are lured by power and the shameful silence of the local and international governments,” Al-Nadhari said in the video. “We declare complete solidarity with our Sunni brothers in Dammaj and other areas in all governorates,” Al-Nadhari continued. “We tell them [Sunni brothers] your injury is ours, your tragedy is our tragedy and your enemy is our enemy. Be confident of the victory and support.”
He warned the Houthis that they would soon be punished.
Ali Al-Emad, a member of the Houthis’ political office in Sana’a, who also is a representative at the National Dialogue Conference, said, “We have not taken an official stance, but the Houthi leaders have already held talks about necessary procedures and precautions [to protect ourselves].”
Al-Emad says the Al-Qaeda footage is just politics at play, saying the Dammaj conflict is deeper than religious divides.
A Sana’a-based supporter of Al-Qaeda, who declined to be named, told the Yemen Times that Al-Qaeda’s first enemy is America and now the Houthis are their second enemY
The source said, “There are a number of Salafis coming from southern governorates to support the Salfis in Dammaj. This is not new. Some went to Dammaj in previous wars to fight for Salfis there.”
In May of 2012, Ansar Al-Sharia, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, was believed to be behind suicide attacks in Sa’ada, Al-Jawf and Al-Beidha, killing and injuring dozens of Houthi supporters.
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