Collapses in Houthi Ranks in Marib as Coalition Raids Kill 50 Terrorists

Arab World

January 25th, 5:48am

Aden - Ali Rabih

Yemeni forces on the Marib front. (AFP)

The Giants Brigades succeeded on Monday in breaching the Harib city center in the Yemeni province of Marib, resulting in the collapse in ranks of the Iran-backed Houthi militias. The Saudi-led Arab coalition provided air cover for the operation. Field sources said Houthi militants fled the scene towards the western district of al-Jawiya and the southern district of al-Abdiya, allowing the government forces to extend their reach in the area. The coalition carried out 14 operations against the Houthis in the Marib and al-Bayda provinces in the past 24 hours, leaving over 50 militants dead. The liberation of the Harib city center will pave the way for major changes on the battlefronts in the coming days. The Giants Brigades are expected to forge ahead with their advance towards al-Jawiya, with the possibility of opening new fronts further to the south towards the Abdiya and Mahliyah districts. Yemeni political researcher Abdul Wahab Buhaibeh told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Giants Brigades made a major strategic gain by reclaiming Harib. The Brigades had captured the Ain city district center in the neighboring Shabwah province ahead of advancing on Harib. He revealed that the Brigades had used the element of surprise against the Houthis with the aim or protecting civilians whom the militias have been using as human shields. The tactic ensured that the Houthis were surrounded, taking them off-guard and leading to their collapse, he added. Buhaibeh predicted that the Brigades will soon advance on Aqabat Malaa, which is key to liberating Jawiya. The capture of Jawiya will be vital due to the district's strategic location as it neighbors at least three other districts, he explained. The district is also key to liberating Marib city. Furthermore, he said the Houthis enjoy no support among the people as the forces move further south in Marib, which will make the liberation smoother for the troops. General Chief of Staff Sagheer bin Aziz toured on Monday the military troops and popular resistance forces along the frontlines in southern Marib. He held an expanded meeting with the commanders at the front and all resistance leaders. "Victory against Iran's militias is near and inevitable," he declared. "You can sense it in the morale and the iron will that is deep-rooted in every national fighter, who realizes the need to defeat the Iranian project in Yemen and the region." He hailed the major and pivotal role played by the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in the ongoing battles. Military estimates believe that more than 10,000 Houthis have been killed in the past two months of fighting alone in the Marib, Shabwah and al-Bayda provinces.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3434716/collapses-houthi-ranks-marib-coalition-raids-kill-50-terrorists