The 1968 Siege of Sanaa: Yemen's Battle for the Republic

In 1968, the Yemen Arab Republic nearly fell. Republican forces under Abdullah al-Sallal faced a royalist siege of Sanaa that lasted seventy days, with tribesmen loyal to the deposed Imamate encircling the city. This episode dives into the siege's key moments: the battle for the presidential palace, the role of Egyptian-supplied artillery, and the leadership of commanders like Ali Abdullah Saleh, then a young officer. We explore how the republic survived through a combination of airlifted supplies, internal divisions among the royalists, and the shifting allegiances of the Hashid and Bakil tribal confederations. The siege's failure cemented the republic's survival and reshaped Yemen's future, setting the stage for Saleh's later rise. We also touch on the role of Saudi Arabia and Egypt as proxy patrons, and lingering questions about the siege's legacy in modern Yemeni memory.

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