This morning I noted, with a hint of scepticism, the Yemeni government's claim that the bodies of 100 Houth rebels had been found on roadsides around Harf Sufyan. The official government news agency has now issued a statement saying the claim was untrue.

A previous government statement earlier this month, about thekidnapping of 15 Red Crescent workers, appears to have been 
grossly exaggerated.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 24 August 2009