For a second consecutive day, Yemeni warplanes continued their bombardment of Saada province on Thursday. Various reports speak of “dozens” of casualties. 

The Houthi rebels issued a video said to have been recorded in Haidan on Wednesday. One scene shows smoke rising above the town – presumably after the aerial bombing of the marketplace.

Meanwhile, the government announced its ceasefire terms, saying the rebels must implement them “without procrastination or delay”. The six conditions are:

1. Lifting all road checkpoints that impede citizens’ travels;

2. Abandoning their military strongholds and coming down from the mountains;

3. Handing over all civil and military equipment they have seized;

4. Disclosing the fate of six kidnapped foreigners (one British man and a German family);

5. Handing over the kidnapped Sa'adah citizens;

6. Ending all interference with the local authority's affairs.

This basically amounts to a call for surrender and the Houthis have rejected it.

Separately, the interior ministry reported that two hand grenades linked to a timing device exploded yesterday near the wall of a government complex in Sarwah district of Marib province.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 14 August 2009.