Houthi-linked Sbayaan cell carried out terror crimes, Yemen's Defense and Interior Ministries said

Yemen's Defense and Interior ministries said the Houthi militant-affiliated cell of Al Sbayaan that the government forces dismantled in Marib on June 28th had been implicated in a wide range of terror crimes including assassinations of army officers.

The government forces backed by Abidah tribes killed four members of the cell including the cell's leader Muhsen Sbayaan, arrested others, and seized a large arms cache and a fabrication plant of unmanned drone parts in a heavy confrontation with them in Al-Wadi district in the province of Marib.

The army spokesman Brig. Abduh Mujalli and the Director of Marib Police Yahya Hameed said in a press conference that the armed forces evicted the women and children from the houses, and called out on the cell members to surrender.

"But the law enforcement officers were responded to by gunfire from heavy, medium and light arms," said the statement that they read as they explained how the clashes started.

The cell the cell members were "implicated in assassinating military and security leaders; intercepting vehicles of the armed forces and the Arab Coalition; planting landmines; purchasing and smuggling arms, drone parts and contraband to the Houthis in Sana'a and Saadah" and exchanging intelligence with the rebel militia fighting the country's government for six years.

The government officials set out a long list of crimes carried out by the cell, including the details of assassinations of ordinary people and military officials.