Update 8 Rabee' Awwal 1435h: houthis reject the cease-fire, deny Yemeni Army entry into Dammaaj and attack the Masjid again

Day 93:

There was a mutual agreement among the representatives of all parties (the Government, the Military, the Tribal Committee, Dammaaj and the houthis) for a cease-fire that was to start today at 6 a.m.. The agreement was for the Yemeni Military to come today and all positions be turned over to them, along with the houthi check points and roads to be opened back up (thus removing us from the houthis siege).

Instead the houthis denied the Yemeni Army to enter Dammaaj only on the condition they would not bring heavy artillery and the soldiers would only enter with a gun and a clip vest. 

Approximately 9:15 a.m the houthis began yet another attack on the main Masjid and surrounding area. As they have done before they bombard the Masjid and its surrounding areas with tank, cannon, mortar shells and anti-aircraft artillery. The shelling usually includes the areas near the emergency shelter for the women and children and they deliberately aim for our main water supply for those that live in the area of the main Masjid. Al-Hamdulillah only some suffered minor injuries.

Yesterday the Tribal Committee headed by Al-Maqdashi came with papers about the cease-fire agreement for Sheikh Yahyaa. They brought along with them some supplies from the Government for us, may Allah reward them. The houthis continued their sniper fire throughout the night, even firing a B-10 cannon at some of the students in the Watan area. No one was hurt Al-Hamdulillah

Update 6 Rabee' Awwal 1435h: the houthis continue their Attacks on the Main Masjid during the Prayer

Day 91:

Yesterday three students were martyred by houthi sniper fire. All of them shots to the head. abdul Rahman Al-Haymi, Hudhayfah Al-Hudhayfah, and Faaiz Al-Ba'daani.

Also yesterday, the committees from the Government and the Tribes were finally able to get through the houthis to the Markaz with the ICRC. They transported 35 injured students to Sa'naa by air from Sa'dah. Some students were not able to go due to the lack of space. During this time the houthis continued to fire rounds randomly at places other than where the ICRC were. On the way out of Dammaaj the houthis obstructed the ICRC cars at their check point in Khaaniq (right outside Dammaaj) for over an hour. They search them vigorously, harassed them and took pictures of the students.

We are still waiting on the retrieval of the 38 or more students that are in an area that the houthis invaded (Masaadeer). This occurred before in the first siege. There were 21 students who needed to be recovered. After a long drown out negotiation with the houthis they agreed to let tribal leaders to retrieve the bodies. The ICRC said there were not able to get a guarantee that the houthis will not attempt to shot at them. Which is why the tribal leaders had to retrieve the students bodies. When the bodies returned we could clearly see that their faces had been disfigured. The doctors who work in Dammaaj (some of them students of knowledge here) said their faces had been disfigured with some sort of acid or other chemical.

As early as 1am this morning the houthis began to bombard the Masjid, its surrounding areas and the house of Sheikh Yahyaa with heavy mortar shells, tank and cannon artillery. Some counted as many as 21 mortar shells during the night. There were no deaths but some injuries from them Sheikh Abdul Wahhaab Ash-Shameeri (one of the teachers here also considered to be a judge) and some of his children suffered minor injuries from shrapnel.

This is the blast to the Masjid that caused Sheikh abdul Wahhaab and some of his children to be injured.

. 

Today at the time of the Mid-Day Prayer (Thuhr) the houthis began firing tank and cannon artillery at the Masjid. Simultaneously firing their anti-aircraft weaponry. All of this while the Muslims were in prayer. Al-Hamdulillah no one was injured. 

Right now it is 11p.m. here and the houthis are doing as they do every night play their usual noise on their loudspeakers and shoot randomly. For those who don't know Dammaaj is a very peaceful village in the middle of mountains (mountains that the houthis seek to control to control us). Before this siege and war there is usually total silence at night even at times during the day. For example we can hear a person's door opening and closing from afar. 

We ask Allah to remove and keep the invading houthis far away from us and return us to our previous state of peace and serenity.

Update 13 Safr 1435h: The Aftermath of the houthi Attack from yesterday

Once more the houthis began yet another all-out assault on Dammaaj with their usual heavy to smaller artillery and sniping throughout the area of the Markaz, hitting the Masjid and some of the student’s homes. It was very unsafe to walk anywhere at the time of the attack. Men were rushing to get their families out of their homes knowing they are targeted by the houthis. The area near the emergency shelter for the women and the children also came under fire again. Yesterday’s attacks of the houthis left 2 students dead and approximately 32 injured.

This student's home was hit while his family was in the house.

 

It went through his neighbor's house and then his. This is the damage caused by the 37mm anti-aircraft gun the houthis use frequently.

So the question is, where does this vile terrorist group get a seem to be; an unlimited supply of ammunition, the variety of weapons they use and countless number of man-power for this war in a country that is supposed to be poor? Are the houthis being supplied by government sources? Who is behind this wicked plot that has claimed the lives of thousands and has caused many children to be orphans?

ﭽ ﮀ  ﮁ  ﮂ   ﮃ  ﮄ   ﮅﮆ  ﮇ    ﮈ  ﮉ    ﮊ   ﮋ  ﭼ الشورى: ٢٤

And Allah wipes out falsehood, and establishes the truth (Al-Islaam) by His Word (this Qur'aan). Verily, He knows well what (secrets) are in the breasts (of mankind). {42:24}

ﭽ ﮑ  ﮒ  ﮓ   ﮔ   ﮕ  ﮖ  ﮗ   ﮘﮙ  ﮚ    ﮛ   ﮜ  ﮝ  ﮞ   ﭼ الزمر: ٧

Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is All-Knower of that which is in (men's) breasts. {39:7}

Pregnant woman killed by heavy artillery, Soldiers killed by houthi landmine (edited and picture added )

Yesterday the woman that was injured eventually died, may Ar-Rahman have mercy on her and accept her as a Shaheedah. The blast that killed her was from direct contact from heavy artillery (tank, canon, or mortar shell). Her name was Umm Masaakeen (Mother of the Deprived) As-Somaalia. She was recently married and was 2 months pregnant. She was staying at one of the emergency shelters for the women and children. She was very much beloved amongst the female students even the little girls that knew her are very sad.   

Add captionThe big hole is where the artillery hit that killed Umm Masaakeen. The smaller hole is from a previous time from 37mm anti-aircraft artillery.

Right after the blast that killed Umm Masaaakeen there was another explosion near a more crowded emergency shelter (maybe 500 or more women and children). This makes the third time in the last three or four days the houthis seem to have targeted the shelters for the women and children with heavy artillery.

Also a committee came with army officers. Two of the officers were heading towards an area of the houthis. The students were trying to warn the soldiers that the houthis have planted land mines in the area they wanted to go in, one of the two soldiers said to the other “don’t believe them they are liars.” They ignored the warning of the students and as a result one of the soldiers was killed instantly and the other lost his leg and eventually died from a land mine explosion.

Just now 11/21/2013

Just now the houthis mortar shelled an emergency shelter for women and children. One woman has been injured so far.