Hajour tribes, Houthis locked in key battle in northern Yemen
The tribe that the Houthis once bet on in their battles is the one fighting them now in Hajour district.
With the support of the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen and the legitimate government, the Hajour tribes are battling the Houthis in the northern province of Hajjah near the Saudi border.
On March 4, the coalition carried out its sixth landing, dropping weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies in support of the Hajour tribes in Hajjah province. The coalition has been launching airstrikes against the Houthis in this battle while Yemen's legitimate government army troops are advancing on the ground. The battles between the Houthis and the Hajour tribes are taking place within the Fifth Military Region’s geographical scope. On March 1, the legitimate government decided to provide the Fifth Military Region with reinforcements from other military areas to support the Hajour tribes.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have taken over, since they invaded the capital Sanaa in September 2014, most Yemeni provinces in record time. However, they have so far been unable to wrest control of Hajour in the Keshar district of Hajjah province. Hajour falls within a Zaidi area and the Houthis are Zaidis.
Hostilities flared up between the Houthis and the Hajour tribes after the tribes captured Houthi fighters in the tribal territory. The incident escalated in early February into an ongoing fierce battle.
