Dozens of people have been killed by sectarian clashes in Yemen 's northern province of Saada in the past several days , according to local officials . In recent days , violence has escalated between Houthi rebels and Salafi militants in the city of Dammaj , with hundreds injured as a result . The Houthis are Shiites and the Salafis are Sunni Muslims . Saada government officials and a spokesman for Salafis in Dammaj accuse Houthi rebels of firing mortars and rockets last week at Dammaj 's Al-Mazraa mosque -- part of a Salafi religious institute -- in a bid to force Salafis to leave the area . Earlier , the Houthis issued a statement accusing the Salafis of causing this conflict by transporting thousands of foreign Sunni fighters there . The political arm of the Houthi rebel group accused the Salafis of transforming a religious center in Dammaj into a jihadist stronghold . The Houthis said they would not tolerate such a threat so close to their stronghold . According to officials , regional Salafi figureheads have been calling for jihad against the Houthi rebels , which has raised tensions in the past several weeks . Serour al-Wadei , a spokesman for the Salafis in Dammaj , told CNN that most of those killed by Houthis have been civilians . The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed growing concern about the situation . In a statement released Saturday , the ICRC , which has been trying to access the area , said it was prevented again from entering Dammaj . `` There are a large number of wounded civilians in Dammaj , and the risk to them will only grow if the ICRC is denied access , '' the aid agency said . ICRC teams that are about 8 kilometers ( 5 miles ) away have been ready to respond since last week . `` We appeal for a halt to the violence and for immediate and unconditional access so that we can evacuate the wounded and deliver much-needed medical assistance , '' said Cedric Schweizer , head of the ICRC delegation in Sanaa , Yemen 's capital . Concerned about the escalation in violence , Yemeni Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed ordered the dispatch of troops to Saada , on Yemen 's border with Saudi Arabia , to act as peacekeepers and to deter warring factions . But so far , government efforts to end the fighting have not been fruitful . `` The ceasefire did not last , but a presidential delegation is negotiating a long-term peace agreement with both sides , '' a senior Defense Ministry official told CNN . Hasan al-Hamran , a Houthi spokesman , denied the Houthis are fueling the clashes and said the government was n't doing enough to ensure foreign jihadi fighters did n't enter the region . `` Foreigners are fighting on the side of the Salafi Sunnis in Dammaj and not Yemenis , '' al-Hamran said . `` The government does not have authority over the Salafi religious institute , resulting in many suspected terrorists entering Saada province . '' A Yemeni government official told CNN on background that the situation has been brewing for some time . The official said that for decades , Houthi supporters have complained of foreign interference coming from Dammaj , where there is a Salafi Center . `` But shelling them today is nothing more than a sign of hubris and exposes how the political map is evolving , '' the official added . `` The government 's response has been slow because it 's taking a cautious approach . The army does n't want to be embroiled in a seventh war with the Houthis . '' Insurgent Houthi rebels fought six wars with Yemen 's government between 2004 and 2009 . The group , which is thought to have thousands of fighters , is anti-United States and anti-Israel , and maintains its actions are taken to protect its community from government discrimination . Yemen is the most impoverished country in the Middle East . It is facing a growing separatist movement in the country 's south and is the hub for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , which many analysts believe is the most dangerous wing of the terrorist network . Currently , the country is engaged in the National Dialogue Conference , U.N.-backed reconciliation talks aimed at drafting a new constitution and laying the groundwork for elections to be held next year .
Sectarian violence has led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries since last week . The clashes pit Sunni rebels against Shiite Houthi Salafi militants . Defense has been unable to access Dammaj to treat wounded civilians . Dammaj , the most impoverished country in the Arabian Peninsula , faces growing separatist movement .