Operation Blow to the Head

Operation Blow to the Head
Part of the Houthi insurgency in Yemen (Operation Scorched Earth) and Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
The mud house in Saada.
Date 13 January–12 February 2010 (4 weeks and 2 days) Location Saada, Saada Governorate, Yemen 16°59′09″N 43°45′52″E / 16.985833°N 43.764444°E / 16.985833; 43.764444 Result Truce[1]
Belligerents
Yemen	Ansar Allah al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Commanders and leaders
Ali Abdullah Saleh Ali Raymi	Abdul-Malik al-Houthi Abdullah Mehdar  †
Casualties and losses
unknown	24 killed 25 captured
class=notpageimage| Location within Yemen

Operation Blow to the Head was a

The Yemeni government troops led a military operation against the insurgent town of Saada. Abdullah Mehdar led the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula insurgents against the government troops. Other Islamic rebels also fought against the Yemeni troops, with the fighting destroying much of the old Saada city.^{[citation needed]} Many buildings were reduced to rubble. Mehdar was killed in a gunfight with security forces on the opening day of the conflict. 15 Houthis were killed in the next two days in the operation. On 19 January 2010, several rebels were killed by government forces in raids on Houthi hideouts in the old corner of the north.^[2] The operation ended after a truce was declared by both sides on 12 February 2010.^[1]

References