A Yemeni Islamist Sunni political party says two of its senior leaders were among over a hundred members abducted by its rival the Shiite rebel group being targeted by a Saudi-led airstrike campaign to thwart its aggressive bid for power.
The Islah party, the Muslim Brotherhood's branch in Yemen, said in a statement today that the rebels, known as Houthis, along with allied security forces loyal to the ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have carried out a number of overnight raids arresting leading members Mohammed Qahtan and Hassan al-Yaeri, along with more than 120 others.
Islah, a traditional power player in Yemen and a staunch rival of the Houthis, had declared its support for the Saudi-led coalition bombing campaign against the Houthis, now in its 11th day.
