Yemen Monitor / Al-Jawf / Exclusive:
Over the past few days, Al-Jawf Governorate (northeastern Yemen) has witnessed clashes between Houthi elements and tribal gunmen amid rising discontent among the governorate’s residents against the group, which has controlled most of Al-Jawf since 2020.
According to tribal and local sources, clashes over the past two days in the districts of Al-Marashi and Khabb wa ash Sha’af resulted in the killing of at least six Houthi elements and the injury of ten others, in addition to the burning of military vehicles.
Among the tribal gunmen, about five were killed and six others were wounded from the Al Jazeelan and Al Ja’eed tribes during the clashes that took place last Thursday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, markets in Barat districts saw a comprehensive strike by merchants following the killing of a citizen inside the central market, amid rising voices holding the Houthis responsible for the security chaos experienced by the governorate.
Regarding the details of what occurred in Al-Marashi district in western Al-Jawf, sources stated that a Houthi security campaign came under fire after attempting to demolish a home belonging to a member of the “Jazeelan Dhu Musa” tribe (a branch of the Dhu Muhammad tribes settled in Bart Al-Anan), due to a dispute with the “Al ‘Abis Dhu Zayd” tribe, which belongs to the same main tribe. The clashes stopped after the intervention of tribal mediation, leaving two dead from the tribes and four from the Houthis, in addition to wounded on both sides.
Yesterday, Saturday, tribal groups from “Al Ja’eed Dhu Muhammad” attacked a Houthi security checkpoint. Events escalated after members of the Houthi-affiliated checkpoint in the “Al-Muhayr” area killed three tribesmen and injured two others, leading armed groups from “Al Ja’eed” to retaliate by attacking security checkpoints in the “Al-Yatmah” area, which resulted in the killing of three Houthis and the injury of others, according to tribal sources.
These escalating events in Al-Jawf come just a few days after clashes broke out between gunmen from the “Hamdan” tribe in the city of “Al-Hazm” and a Houthi security campaign, leading to the death of four Houthis—including a commander—and the injury of others, compared to the death of one Hamdan tribesman and the injury of two others. Matters did not stop there; the group was forced to submit to tribal custom and seek arbitration from the Hamdan tribe regarding what transpired.
Meanwhile, the tribal encampment at “Matarih Al-Rayyan” continues its sit-in, demanding that the Houthi group release the woman known as “Luhayqat Dahm,” who had previously sought refuge with Sheikh Hamad bin Fadgham before the group arrested both of them. Later, the Houthis released Bin Fadgham, who managed to leave for areas under the control of the internationally recognized government, declaring a “tribal call to arms” (Nakaf) from there. The “Dahm” and Al-Jawf tribes responded, calling on all Yemeni tribes to heed the call that has been ongoing for about a month.
Escalating disputes between the Houthis and the tribes continue as the group insists on keeping “Luhayqat Dahm” detained.
Voices have grown louder in Houthi-controlled areas calling for her release and declaring support for the tribal encampment, rejecting the Houthi narrative which claims that the woman is “impersonating Saddam Hussein’s daughter and claiming affiliation with the Al-Zubairi family” and the Arhab tribe east of Sana’a.
