The leader of Yemeni Shiite rebels, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, is alive but seriously wounded and has entrusted a relative with leading the northern rebellion in his stead, a Yemeni official said Tuesday. There was no immediate confirmation of the report from the rebels, who said on their website that fighting was continuing in a strategic area of Yemen. “According to the information available to us, Houthi sustained wounds to his leg and hand, and his leg was amputated after that,” a local government official from the northern province of Saada, the rebel stronghold, said. The official said Houthi was wounded about a month ago, but gave no details as to where. A government website reported last month that Houthi may have died after being severely wounded by government forces. “He has been unable to appear again after this and has handed the leadership of the rebellion to his brother-in-law, Youssef al-Madani,” the official said, adding that Houthi had returned to his home village for treatment. State media reported that Yemen had sentenced an army officer to 10 years in jail for providing the Houthis with weapons intelligence, including information on “radioactive elements.” Muhammad Ab-dullah Al-Bahri, a 35-year-old teacher, confessed to taking orders from the rebels, according to state news agency Saba.
