Siege of Dammaj
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Dammaj started in October 2011, when the Shi'a, Zaidi
rebel group Shabab al-Muminin, better known as the Houthis, which controll the Sa'dah Governorate accused a Sunni, Salafi
loyal to the Yemeni regime of smuggling weapons into their religious center in the town of Dammaj
and demanded they hand over their weapons and military posts in the town. When the Salafis refused the Houthis imposed a siege on the town. The fighting is mainly centered around the Dar al-Hadith religious school, which is run by hard-core Salafis and is known to have a number of students with links to al-Qaeda
, although it's founder Imam Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi’ee rejected Osama bin Laden
in the 1990s.
Tensions between the two groups started as Houthis intercepted a letter in which Salafi Imam, Sheikh Yahya al-Hajoori thanked President Ali Abdullah Saleh
's nephew Brigadier General Yahya Mohamed Abdullah Saleh for fighting Houthis in his region. Houthis then demanded the Salafis empty their military posts in the city, claiming that "the Damaj School has made attacks against us and is attempting to take control of military positions outside of their area," but as the Salafis refused the Houthis laid a seige upon Dar al-Hadeeth religious school, headed by Sheikh Yahya al-Hajoori. They also attacked the Salafi held Al-Baraqa Mountain on October 30. The Salafis claim the siege does not allow any food or medicine to enter the complex and have called upon Yemen authorities to break the siege. The Houthis claim they are only blocking weapons from entering the area.
In response to the siege, tribesmen loyal to the Salafi group blocked the al-Boqa road, connecting Sa'dah
to Saudi Arabia
and Hashid
tribesmen from the JMP blocked the Sana'a
-Sa'dah road. Houthi appointed Sa'dah governor Fares Mana'a
tried to mediate a cease-fire in which the Houthis would re-open the road and both sides would withdraw to their old positions. The cease-fire however, lasted merely 4 hours, after which a new round of fighting broke out in which one Salafi fighter was killed. The school and surrounding areas, including 10,000 inhabitants were besieged for over two weeks.
A cease-fire, crafted by local tribesmen, which lasted one week, was broken on November 25, when Houthis started shelling the Salafi fighters' positions in the town, killing three and wounding two. Houthi leader Saleh Habra said the Yemeni government was supplying arms to the Salafis and trying to help them set up a base near the Saudi border, stating the new attack was to cut off their arms supplies. Salafi leader Sheikh Yahya al-Hajouri responded by declaring a jihad against the Houthis, which he described as "rejectionists".
The Houthis launched a raid into the town in the pre-dawn hours on November 26, which lasted until the afternoon of November 27. According to Houthi leader Dhaifallah al-Shami the raid was in response to the Salafis rejecting a cease-fire offer by Abdul-Malik al-Houthii and continued fighting. A total of 24 Salafis were killed and 61 injured during the raid. The deaths included two Indonesia
n and two United States
citizens. Al-Shami confirmed that several Houthis were also killed during the raid, Houthi commander Mohammed Abdulsalam put the number at less than ten.
On November 30, the Houthis shelled the town again, injuring 26 peole.
Zaidiyyah
Zaidiyya, or Zaidism is a Shi'a Muslim school of thought named after Zayd ibn ʻAlī, the grandson of Husayn ibn ʻAlī. Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a...
rebel group Shabab al-Muminin, better known as the Houthis, which controll the Sa'dah Governorate accused a Sunni, Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
loyal to the Yemeni regime of smuggling weapons into their religious center in the town of Dammaj
Dammaj
Dammaj is a small town in Sa'dah Governorate. It is notable since Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi'ee established the Madrasah Dar al-Hadith in Dammaaj but after he's death, Sheikh Yahya Al Hajooree took over Dammaj as Shaikh Muqbil gave him the permission to...
and demanded they hand over their weapons and military posts in the town. When the Salafis refused the Houthis imposed a siege on the town. The fighting is mainly centered around the Dar al-Hadith religious school, which is run by hard-core Salafis and is known to have a number of students with links to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, although it's founder Imam Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi’ee rejected Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
in the 1990s.
Tensions between the two groups started as Houthis intercepted a letter in which Salafi Imam, Sheikh Yahya al-Hajoori thanked President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
's nephew Brigadier General Yahya Mohamed Abdullah Saleh for fighting Houthis in his region. Houthis then demanded the Salafis empty their military posts in the city, claiming that "the Damaj School has made attacks against us and is attempting to take control of military positions outside of their area," but as the Salafis refused the Houthis laid a seige upon Dar al-Hadeeth religious school, headed by Sheikh Yahya al-Hajoori. They also attacked the Salafi held Al-Baraqa Mountain on October 30. The Salafis claim the siege does not allow any food or medicine to enter the complex and have called upon Yemen authorities to break the siege. The Houthis claim they are only blocking weapons from entering the area.
In response to the siege, tribesmen loyal to the Salafi group blocked the al-Boqa road, connecting Sa'dah
Sa'dah
Sa`dah is the capital city of Saada Governorate in north-western Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of about 1,800 meters. Known in antiquity as Karna, its population in 2004 was estimated at 51,870.- External links :*...
to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Hashid
Hashid
The Hashid tribal federation is the second largest tribal federation in Yemen. Member tribes of the Hashid Confederation are found primarily in the mountains in the North and Northwest of the country. It was headed by Sheikh Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar until his death on December 29, 2007 and is...
tribesmen from the JMP blocked the Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
-Sa'dah road. Houthi appointed Sa'dah governor Fares Mana'a
Fares Mana'a
Sheikh Fares Mohammed Mana'a is a top Yemeni arms-dealer, businessman rebel commander and politician. He is said to be Yemen's most famous arms-dealer...
tried to mediate a cease-fire in which the Houthis would re-open the road and both sides would withdraw to their old positions. The cease-fire however, lasted merely 4 hours, after which a new round of fighting broke out in which one Salafi fighter was killed. The school and surrounding areas, including 10,000 inhabitants were besieged for over two weeks.
A cease-fire, crafted by local tribesmen, which lasted one week, was broken on November 25, when Houthis started shelling the Salafi fighters' positions in the town, killing three and wounding two. Houthi leader Saleh Habra said the Yemeni government was supplying arms to the Salafis and trying to help them set up a base near the Saudi border, stating the new attack was to cut off their arms supplies. Salafi leader Sheikh Yahya al-Hajouri responded by declaring a jihad against the Houthis, which he described as "rejectionists".
The Houthis launched a raid into the town in the pre-dawn hours on November 26, which lasted until the afternoon of November 27. According to Houthi leader Dhaifallah al-Shami the raid was in response to the Salafis rejecting a cease-fire offer by Abdul-Malik al-Houthii and continued fighting. A total of 24 Salafis were killed and 61 injured during the raid. The deaths included two Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n and two United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens. Al-Shami confirmed that several Houthis were also killed during the raid, Houthi commander Mohammed Abdulsalam put the number at less than ten.
On November 30, the Houthis shelled the town again, injuring 26 peole.