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Children Recruited by Houthis Contract COVID-19 in Yemen's Saada

A Yemeni boy poses with a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a gathering of newly-recruited Houthi fighters in the capital Sanaa, to mobilize more fighters to battlefronts in the war against pro-government forces in several Yemeni cities. (File photo: AFP)
A Yemeni boy poses with a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a gathering of newly-recruited Houthi fighters in the capital Sanaa, to mobilize more fighters to battlefronts in the war against pro-government forces in several Yemeni cities. (File photo: AFP)
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Children Recruited by Houthis Contract COVID-19 in Yemen's Saada

A Yemeni boy poses with a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a gathering of newly-recruited Houthi fighters in the capital Sanaa, to mobilize more fighters to battlefronts in the war against pro-government forces in several Yemeni cities. (File photo: AFP)
A Yemeni boy poses with a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a gathering of newly-recruited Houthi fighters in the capital Sanaa, to mobilize more fighters to battlefronts in the war against pro-government forces in several Yemeni cities. (File photo: AFP)

Dozens of children in Yemen’s Saada province have been infected by the new coronavirus after being forced by Houthi militias to attend indoctrination schools and institutes, well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Reports indicate that Houthis failed to implement health precautionary measures at the designated sectarian schools and institutes. This comes as the virus has spread dramatically in areas under Houthi control in northern Yemen.

According to sources based in Saada, a Houthi stronghold, “the virus has spread largely among children who have been lately forced by Houthis to attend the militias’ schools and institutes.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat under the conditions of anonymity, the sources warned that a catastrophe could well be on the way for the province should the international community remain silent towards Houthi atrocities.

Children are being indoctrinated into the Houthi sectarian agenda without any regard to their childhood or lives.

Abdulkhaliq Bishr, one of Saada’s top clerics, confirmed that the virus had spread significantly in the province, especially among school students.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that a number of families have already been killed by the virus.

“The disease is spreading in Saada’s countryside and we are hearing stories of children and whole families dying,” Bishr said.

He stressed that the Houthi militias are exploiting the summer vacation to deploy child soldiers to battlefronts after having indoctrinated them.

Houthis are forcing the parents of children to bring them to summertime institutes launched by the group to brainwash them into becoming child soldiers. The gathering spaces are not being regulated according to health precautionary measures needed to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

Bishr further warned of Houthis continuing to brainwash children into their ideology, saying that after six years of war, “the spread of Houthi ideology has gone a long way.”

He added that the lack of international intervention to save the Yemenis means that thousands of timed human ticking bombs are being raised by Houthi extremist and sectarian ideology and may harm the whole world.

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Israeli Army is Setting Up Rapid Response Unit on Border with Syria

Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)
Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)
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Israeli Army is Setting Up Rapid Response Unit on Border with Syria

Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)
Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)

The Israeli military has announced the formation of a special rapid response unit in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to fend off threats from Syria, when necessary.

Commander of the 210th Bashan Division Lieutenant Colonel Yair Palai said the unit would operate as an effective attack force capable to launch in seconds and prevent threats on Israel similar to the one Hamas launched on October 7, 2023.

“The Unit will be prepared 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of events,” he said.

“In the case of any security incident, the Unit will strike the enemy mercilessly. There is no possibility of failure, because this unit depends on constant vigilance,” Palai said.

The unit, which is comprised of elite soldiers from reconnaissance units and special reserve units, will operate under the 210th Division.

Sources said the unit has fully mobilized and operated continuously over the past three months.

Its goal was initially to counter Iranian, Syrian, Yemeni, Iraqi or other militias that might operate from the Golan against Jewish settlements there.

But recent developments in Syria compelled the army to prepare for any additional threats.

Last week, Syrian army soldiers were killed in a major attack by opposition fighters led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, who swept into the city of Aleppo in the northwest, forcing the military to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar Assad in years.

On Tuesday, Haaretz said the Israeli military fears that amid the Syrian opposition assault and their taking over of military sites belonging to the Assad regime in the country, chemical weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

If such weapons fall into the hands of the opposition fighters or Iranian militias, Israel would have to act in a way that “may affect Syria and the entire Middle East,” according to Haaretz.

The report said that after the country's civil war, Assad tried to rebuild his chemical weapons production facilities, with most having been removed from Syria under an international agreement. But a substantial part of the chemical weapons project, particularly the knowledge accumulated over the years, still remains in Assad's hands.

Haaretz wrote that Israel has relayed messages to the Syrian regime via the Russians insisting that Assad assert his sovereignty and bar Iran from operating from within Syria.

“The army is monitoring with concern the surprise Syrian rebel offensive on Assad strongholds in Syria that began last week,” it said.

Also, intelligence officials believe that while the Syrian president's standing has been weakened, Iran, with Russia's support, is exploiting the chaos in order to send in tens of thousands of fighters from the armed militias that support it.

According to Haaretz, the army's current estimate is that there are 40,000 Iranian militia fighters in Syria.

In tandem with the ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been carrying out strikes almost daily on the border between Syria and Lebanon in order to thwart attempts to smuggle weaponry destined for Hezbollah.

Although to date there is no firm evidence that the Iranian forces plan to station themselves in Damascus, the newspaper said one Israeli diplomatic official involved in the discussions referred to this on Sunday as a known fact. “Iran has begun to send an influx of forces into Syria in an attempt to aid Assad and suppress the revolt,” he said.