Tribesmen from the Bani Nuf tribe have blocked the Al-Rayan international highway, a crucial route connecting Al-Jawf Governorate to Al-Mahra and Hadramaut Governorates and the Al-Wadea crossing. This action follows a tribal mobilization call protesting alleged abuses and torture of Sheikh Hamad bin Rashid bin Fadgham Al-Hazmi in Houthi militia detention facilities. Tribal sources reported that the Bani Nuf militants have implemented strict tribal checkpoints targeting individuals from the Sahar tribe of Saada, the home region of prominent Houthi leader Fares Manaa. This move aims to exert pressure on the militia. The sources indicated that the militants are inspecting the identification of drivers and passengers, searching for anyone belonging to the Sahar tribe, and detaining any associated cargo trucks or vehicles. This escalation coincides with widespread tribal activity. Delegations comprising senior sheikhs and members of the Daham, Bani Nuf, and Al-Dhawai tribes have arrived at the territories of the Maraziq tribe in the Al-Rayan area, which is under the control of the legitimate government. They are there to welcome and support Sheikh Hamad Fadgham Al-Hazmi, who has reportedly "migrated" to the Maraziq territories and declared tribal mobilization by "breaking his jambiya," a traditional signal of heightened alert and a call for assistance against injustice and attempts to erase tribal identity. In response, the Houthi militia has launched a widespread, arbitrary campaign, demonstrating signs of confusion. They have established numerous checkpoints and have abducted and detained any citizen from Al-Jawf Governorate traveling from routes leading to Marib Governorate. Local sources confirmed that the Houthi militia is forcing travelers to fill out a "return form" and forcibly taking those who refuse to sign it to their prisons. The root of this escalating tension dates back to mid-May, when a Houthi military campaign at the Al-Hattarish checkpoint, at the entrance to Sana'a, intercepted Sheikh Al-Hazmi and Mira Saddam Hussein upon their return to Al-Jawf. They were subsequently abducted and held for fifty days. This occurred after Sheikh Al-Hazmi's attempts to seek justice from the Houthis failed, as they refused to return her home and properties in Sana'a, which had been raided and looted since 2017 by the Houthi leader Fares Manaa. The incident sparked widespread tribal anger in Al-Jawf Governorate at the time, and multiple mediation efforts involving several sheikhs from Bakil and Daham took place. However, these efforts concluded without an agreement, as Al-Hazmi and the Daham sheikhs insisted on the full return of the house and properties of the supplicant, rejecting all alternative proposals. |
