On July 7, Yemeni warplanes conducted two airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Jawf. This happened after at least fifteen soldiers and twenty rebels were killed as a result of fighting that began on July 4 in Amran.

NEW ANALYSIS | POLITICAL PROCESS | THE SOUTH | INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT | SECURITY | ECONOMIC & HUMANITARIAN ISSUES

NEWS ANALYSIS
Similarities between Houthi rebels and ISIS
In an Al Masdar op-ed, Yemeni writer Nasser Yahya offers a comparison between the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He writes that the similarities between the two movements include rebellion against the state using religious pretexts, mass killings of their enemies, and using takfeer as an argument against their opponents. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 7/7/2014]

POLITICAL PROCESS
Cabinet sends transitional justice bill to president
Yemen’s cabinet sent a bill on transitional justice to President Abdrabo Mansour Hadi. The bill addresses past violations and abuses committed during the period covered by the bill. The cabinet also discussed a draft law on recovering looted funds and approved a number of loan and grant agreements between the Yemeni government and donor organizations that aim to reduce poverty in rural areas, improve the standard of living of small farmers, reduce migration to cities, and create jobs through labor-intensive businesses. [Saba, 7/2/2014]

THE SOUTH
Southern movement commemorates its seventh anniversary in Sana’a
The Southern movement commemorated its seventh anniversary on July 6 in Sana’a. Members of the movement celebrated the date by taking part in a mass rally in Sana’a. During the ceremony, leader of the Southern Movement Nasser Ali Nubia gave a speech insisting that there is no chance for national reconciliation without including the national interest of the South. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 6/7/2014]

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
G10 express solidarity with Yemen
The Group of 10 (G10) sponsoring the Gulf initiative renewed their solidarity with Yemen in its political transition in a meeting on July 6. Deputy head of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) Nehal al-Awlaki hailed the support provided by the ten states. [Saba, 7/7/2014]

SECURITY
Clashes between Houthi rebels and Yemeni army continue
On July 7, Yemeni warplanes conducted two airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Jawf. This happened after at least fifteen soldiers and twenty rebels were killed as a result of fighting that began on July 4 in Amran. Houthi rebel attacks on residential neighborhoods have led many Yemenis to flee their homes and move to safer areas. [Associated Press, 7/6/2014, Al Masdar (Arabic), 7/7/2014]

Al-Qaeda militants kill six soldiers in Abyan province
On July 6, suspected al-Qaeda gunmen ambushed an army vehicle on a main road outside Mahfad, killing six soldiers in Abyan. [Al Arabiya, 7/6/2014]

Violent clashes between tribes from Mareb and Shabwah provinces
Clashes erupted on July 1 between the Abu al-Thaiev tribe from Marib and the Balharith tribe from Shabwah, killing seventeen and wounding forty. Tensions between the two tribes may have been a result of disputes over land located between Marib and Shabwah. Yemeni authorities have not intervened to stop the fighting. Clashes continued on July 2. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 7/2/2014]

Clashes in al-Dhale governorate result in six deaths
Clashes between Yemen’s army and armed militants in al-Dhale governorate resulted in six deaths. Local sources say the army shelled densely-populated civilian areas, which resulted in the death of a child. Clashes erupted after armed militants targeted a vehicle belonging to the brigade. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 7/3/2014]
 
Local insurgents attack government complex in Rada’
Armed militants attacked a government complex in Rada’ district on July 3, including the governor’s home. The defense ministry announced that it had killed two militants, but failed to capture the rest following the attack. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 7/3/2014]

Six people killed during attacks on Yemeni-Saudi border post
Two suspected al-Qaeda militants blew themselves up on July 5 after being trapped inside a government building in southern Saudi Arabia. The two were part of a group of six al-Qaeda militants who attacked the Wadia border post between Yemen and Saudi Arabia on Friday. The attacks highlighted the threat posed by militants to the security of both nations. [Reuters, 7/5/2014]

ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN ISSUES
Yemeni coast guard captures ship carrying forty-two African nationals
The Yemeni coast guard seized a boat smuggling forty-two African nationals into Yemen. The people aboard the ship were arrested and taken to the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The boat’s captain was arrested on human trafficking charges. [Saba (Arabic), 7/1/2014]

Attacks on electric grid cause repeated power cuts in Sana’a
The Yemeni ministry of electricity and energy announced that a group of armed militants attacked power circuits in Sana’a on July 1. In related news, gunmen in Marib captured fuel tankers used for electric generators destined for Sana’a on July 1. Both incidents resulted in repeated power cuts in Sana’a. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 7/2/2014]

DNO resumes work in Yemen
On July 7, the Norwegian energy company DNO International said in a statement that it had resumed oil production from Yemen, ending a two-week interruption in its operations. DNO suspended operations in Yemen on June 24 after local labor unions took unilateral action to stop work in Howarime. [DNO, 7/7/2014]