The 1968 Siege of Sana'a: Tribal Siege That Decided Yemen's Fate

In 1968, the future of Yemen hung in the balance as royalist tribesmen besieged the republican capital of Sana'a. This episode follows the 70-day siege that pitted the fragile republican government of Abdullah al-Sallal against a coalition of Zaidi royalists, backed by Saudi Arabia and including the powerful Hashid and Bakil tribal confederations. We focus on the key figures — Prince Muhammad al-Badr, the deposed imam; General Hassan al-Amri, the republican commander; and the Egyptian pilots who flew desperate supply missions. We examine the dramatic counterattack at the Battle of Sha'ub and the political fallout that ended Saudi intervention and solidified republican rule. The siege exposed the deep fault lines of tribe, sect, and foreign influence that continue to shape Yemen today. Drawing on eyewitness accounts and declassified diplomatic records, this is the story of the battle that decided Yemen's modern identity.

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