Houthis and their allied forces have been criticized for leaving the bodies of dozens of their fighters to decay after suffering heavy military losses in battles with government forces in the province of Marib, according to a report by Saeed Al Batati in the UAE daily, Gulf News. The full story follows: Some of the fighters were killed in areas surrounded by landmines, which made it difficult for the Red Crescent to retrieve them. Hassan Al Shabwani, Head of the Provincial Office of the Yemeni Red Crescent, told Gulf News on Monday that his colleagues have removed decomposing bodies of 41 Houthi fighters who were killed in months of fierce clashes in the province, adding that they are unable to reach dozens of others because of landmines. "We retrieved bodies from around Marib dam, Tabbat Al Masaria and Al Ashraf. Today we removed nine bodies." Al Shabwani said that the retrieved bodies were handed to Houthis to bury them. "We did not find any body of dead fighters loyal to the government forces." The lawless province of Marib is among few provinces in the troubled country that fought off Houthis quick advance across the country after their seizure of power in September last year. The Saudi-led coalition has recently dispatched hundreds of troops and sophisticated weapons to the provinces ahead of a looming military operation to recapture neighbouring provinces from Houthis and the forces of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Forces loyal to president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi are in control of most of the country, including the strategic port city of Aden. In the northern province of Dhamar, residents said that Houthis pulled out of the district of Outma and handed security to local people. Abdul Rahman Maoudha, an MP and the head of Dhamar resistance, told Al Masder Online news site that local people are now in charge of government offices, adding that Houthis left the area after successful tribal mediation in which Houthis agreed to pull out exchange for releasing their incarcerated fighters with the resistance. Maoudha said that 16 resistance fighters were killed and 51 more injured in recent clashes with Al Houthis. Houthis did not face any considerable resistance when they controlled the province of Dhamar in October last year. Promoted by massive air strikes on Houthi positions in the province, local fighters got together and launched sporadic attacks on the militia. In the south, at least 100 police officers have finished a month long training programme in the province of Shabwa. The officers would be deployed in Attaq, the province's capital, local officials said on Monday. Mohsen Al Gomesh, a spokesperson for the Governor of Shabwa, told Gulf News on Monday that the soldiers are the first group of 500 soldiers who are being trained to take charge of security issues of in the province. "There are also 1,500 army soldiers receive security training by local military officers. Those soldiers will be responsible for protecting the province." The oil rich province was embroiled into the civil war in April when local army regiments switched sides and backed Houthis.
