In Yemen, Houthi rebels were driven out of key sites in northern and southern provinces following the attack of the Southern Joint Forces (SJF) backed by the Arab Coalition. As a military spokesperson confirmed, the SJF have scored crucial gains this week, while 26 Houthi fighters were killed.
Captain Fuad Jubari, a SJF spokesman, said the forces were still committed to the ceasefire, The National reports. Monday operation also destroyed four military vehicles and seized a large amount of ammunition and other military equipment.
In fact, forces launched a large-scale offensive on Monday morning targeting sites still controlled by the Houthi rebels in northern Al Fakher and in the mountainous area of Al Aoud area between Al Dhalea and Ibb, killing 26 Houthi fighters.
The operation also destroyed four military vehicles and seized a large amount of ammunition and other military equipment” the SJF spokesperson for the Al Dhalea military zone, said.
“The troops liberated key sites in the Hejar area near Al Aoud mountain in southern Ibb province, such as the strategic mountain of Al Karhaa which overlook the villages of Azab, Beit Al Shargi, and the main road linking the province of Ibb northern Yemen with the southern provinces of Al Dhalea, Lahj and Aden,” Capt Jubari confirmed.
According to Capt Jubari, the offensive was symmetrical response to Houthi attacks on sites controlled by their forces in the province of Ibb. As the military official told the journalists, SJF are still fully committed to the ceasefire which was announced by the Arab Coalition and the UN. However, the Forces should keep a proactive position as the Houthis continued their provocative penetrations. Still, the rebels continue to push huge military reinforcements from the northern provinces of Thamar and Ibb to the northern fronts of Al Dhalea in the last couple of weeks.
The Houthi militia has also ramped up attacks on civilians who live in areas northern Al Dhalea, shelling their residences with far-range artillery and mortars, the captain said.
Yemeni people still hope for peace in the war-torn country
The civilian population still suffer from the consequences of the internal armed conflict. Since the ceasefire was announced the rebels keep shelling our residences day and night.
Last week, they shelled our residences randomly with mortars causing serious injury for a woman in her forties and caused damage for many other residences in our village.
Meanwhile, a tribal mediator in Sanaa succeeded on Monday in securing the freedom of Yemeni ex-minister of culture who was abducted by Houthi militia from his residence in Sanaa on Sunday. That outrageous kidnap may have been linked to comments he posted on ex-official’s FB page, where he criticised Houthi mismanagement and praised soldiers fighting the group in Marib province.
A source based in Sanaa told The National that efforts exerted by a tribal mediator succeeded in convincing the Houthi authorities to set the former minister free following threats made by his tribe to escalate.
