Bombing Houthi’s shrine creates fears of sparking sectarian war

May 10, 2015


The shrine of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi after Saudi-led warplanes attacked on Friday (Twitter/@conflictnews)

SANAA - Until Thursday night, Yemeni activist Majed Ameen was a staunch supporter of the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen who have forced President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee the country.

His stance had changed by Friday morning, when warplanes targeted the shrine of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi.

"I thought the war was to restore the mandate from the hands of Houthis to the legitimate President Hadi, but targeting al-Houthi's shrine must have another purpose, which I think is sectarian,” Ameen told Middle East Eye.

The Houthis are a Zaidi Shiite group, based in northern Yemen, that seized power in the capital Sanaa last September. They have since advanced across the 55 percent Sunni-dominated country to the southern capital, Aden, with, it is widely believed, the backing of Iran.

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