Operation Scorched Earth

For the military strategy, see Scorched earth.

Operation Scorched Earth
Part of the Houthi insurgency in Yemen and Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
Date11 August 2009 – 12 February 2010
(6 months and 1 day)
Location
Saada Governorate, Yemen and Jabal al-Dukhan, Saudi Arabia
Result Saudi Iraqi victory.
Belligerents

 Yemen[1]
Hashed tribesmen[2]
 Saudi Arabia

Alleged:
 Morocco[3]
 Jordan[3]

Houthis

Alleged:
Iran

 Hezbollah[4]
North Korea
Commanders and leaders

Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh
Yemen Ali Mohammed Mujur
Yemen Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar[1]
Yemen Amr Ali Mousa Al-Uuzali  †
Yemen Ali Salem al-Ameri  †
Yemen Ahmed Bawazeir  †
Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Saudi Arabia Khalid bin Sultan

Saudi Arabia Saleh Al-Muhaya

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Yahya Badreddin al-Houthi
Yousuf al-Madani  †
Taha al-Madani[5]
Abu Ali Hakem[5]
Abdullah al-Qa'ud[5]
Abu Nasir[5]
Nasir Muhammad al-Sayfi[5]
Abd al-Muhsin al-Nimri[5]
Shaykh al-A'sir al-Ka'bi[5]

Mohammad Abd al-Salam
Strength

Yemen:
30,000 in-theatre[6]
66,700 total[7]
3,000 tribal fighters[2]
Saudi Arabia:
199,500 total[7]
Alleged:
Jordan: 2,000[3]
Morocco Hundreds[3]

al-Qaeda: 300[8]

100,000–150,000 Houthi rebels[9]
Alleged:

200 Somali fighters[10]
Casualties and losses

Yemen:
126+ KIA[11]
(Government confirmed)
144–159 KIA[12]
(Independent estimate)
400–500 POW[13]
3 fighter jets lost[14]
69 Salafi fighters killed[15]
Saudi Arabia:
133 KIA[16]
470 WIA[17]
6 MIA[16]
(Saudi claim)

Total: 328–361 killed

600+ KIA[18]
(Government claim)
458-544 KIA[19]
(Independent estimate)
1,000 POW[20][21] (including at least 26 Somalis)[22][23]

Total: 458–600 killed

Total Yemeni Casualties:
8,000 killed[24][25]
Saudi Civilian Casualties:
4 civilians killed[26]

50,000 displaced[27]

Operation Scorched Earth (Arabic: عملية الأرض المحروقة) was the code-name of a Yemeni military offensive in the Saada Governorate that began in August 2009. It marked the fifth wave of violence during the ongoing insurgency by the Houthis against the government. In November 2009, the conflict spread across the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia. This conflict led to the Saudi military's incursion into Yemen, marking the first military operation conducted by Saudi Arabia since 1991.[28]

  1. ^ a b Novak, Jane (21 March 2007). "Yemen's Internal Shia Jihad". Global Politician. Archived from the original on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Yemen: Government reinforces army to eradicate Houthis - Yemen | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 30 August 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d Canales, Pedro (3 December 2009). "Marruecos y Jordania envían tropas de élite para ayudar a los saudíes en Yemen". El Imparcial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  4. ^ Guitta, Olivier (11 November 2009). "Iran and Saudi Arabia drawn to Yemen". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Salmoni, Barak A.; Loidolt, Bryce; Wells, Madeleine (28 April 2010). Regime and Periphery in Northern Yemen: The Huthi Phenomenon. Rand Corporation. ISBN 9780833049742.
  6. ^ Yemen's rebels undefeated Archived 16 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b Center for Strategic and International Studies The Middle East Military Balance Archived 14 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, 2005
  8. ^ "Yemen says may harbor up to 300 Qaeda suspects". Reuters. 29 December 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Yemen's war: Pity those caught in the middle". The Economist. 5 November 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  10. ^ Yemeni Rebels Receiving Assistance From Somali Fighters In Battle With Saleh Regime Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 28 November 2009
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Yemeni government casualties was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Yemen (2004 - first combat deaths)". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Death sentences for Yemen fighters". Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  14. ^ "Yemeni jet crashes as Saudis regain territory from rebels". gulfnews. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  15. ^ "Sectarian conflict looms in Sa'ada". Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  16. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference saud was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Saudi deaths in fight with Yemen rebels reach 113". 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference sabanews1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ "263 in 2009 & 195-281 in 2010". Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  20. ^ "Houthis urge Yemen to free prisoners". 24 April 2010. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  21. ^ "Yemen frees jailed Shia rebels in 'peace deal'". BBC News. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  22. ^ "Al-Houthis recruit African refugees for their battles". Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  23. ^ "Round Seven? The Houthi Rebellion in Northern Yemen". Jamestown. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  24. ^ "Bloody 2009". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  25. ^ "Thousands Expected to die in 2010 in Fight against Al-Qaeda- Yemen Post English Newspaper Online". Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  26. ^ "Middle East - Heavy clashes at Saudi-Yemen border". Al Jazeera English. 7 November 2009. Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  27. ^ Peninsula on the brink Archived 27 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "Analysis: What is behind Saudi offensive in Yemen". Global Post. 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.