SANA'A - Shi'ite rebels in northern Yemen said on Tuesday that Saudi air fighters continued to strike their posts along the borders although they have declared a complete withdrawal from Saudi territories. "We confirm that there was no exchange of fire with the Saudi army, and there are no snipers from any side, as (Saudi) claims in this regard are just but an attempt to justify the Saudi aggression on Yemeni lands, which did not stop," the rebels, known as the Houthis, said in a statement posted on their website. Last week, the rebels said they had completely pulled out of Saudi territories they occupied recently along the borders with Yemen. "Upon directives from (leader) Abdul Malik al-Houthi to withdraw from the Saudi territories and within his initiative included in an audio recording, a complete pullout had been accomplished from all Saudi lands and posts," the rebels said yesterday in a statement posted on their website. Yet Riyadh said a day later it would not approve a ceasefire with the Houthi rebels unless they show "good intentions", including withdrawing all snipers from Saudi lands and releasing six Saudi soldiers who are believed to be in the hands of the rebels. Yemeni rebels denied the existence of their snipers within Saudi territories, and yet Saudi airstrikes did not stop. Saudi war jets have carried out 18 raids against several districts in northern Yemen, including al-Malaheez and Beni Moaz, during which they launched over 820 missiles, the statement said. Saudi troops have been fighting Houthi rebels since November 3 after a group of the rebels killed a Saudi soldier and injured 11 others in a cross-border attack. The group also gained control of the southern border area of Jabal al-Dukhan for a few days. Saudi army stressed that its operations were conducted within Saudi territories, but the rebels said Saudi fighters had bombed sites in Yemeni territories. Yemeni officials, for their part, denied that Saudi army had targeted posts of Houthi rebels within the country located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemeni Shi'ite rebels said yesterday they were open to a prisoner swap with neighbouring Saudi Arabia if the kingdom was committed to peace. "The issue of the Saudi prisoners is not an obstacle if there is a will for peace. Perhaps the matter can be solved through a prisoner swap," the rebels said in a statement on their website. Last week, Saudi Arabia declared a full victory over the rebels. Riyadh said that if they wanted hostilities to end, the insurgents would have to return six Saudi soldiers who were still missing in fighting that has raged in the Yemen-Saudi border zone since November. Meanwhile, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh met yesterday with Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Ivan Lewis. The meeting dealt with the outcomes of this month London conference on Yemen in which Yemen and its allies addressed Yemen's developmental and security issues and agreed to tackle them together in the best interest of the country, the region and the world. The two also discussed arrangements for a donor meeting on Yemen that was approved in the London summit to be held on February 22 in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, as well as plans and mechanism of the newly-announced Friends of Yemen Group. President Saleh appreciated Britain's role in supporting Yemen through calling for, arranging and hosting the London meeting held days ago, which came up with positive outcomes to boost the partnership between Yemen and its allies.
