Arab Coalition’s fighter jets managed to kill leading member of Houthi militias Hamza Al Modani, as it launched an air raid against the Houthi strongholds in the district of Hawis of Maqbana Directorate. The attacks led to the killing and injury of a large number of militants.
According to Saudi sources, Commander of the "Republican Guard” forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed with 36 militants during their clashes with the joint forces. Meanwhile, Yemeni sources revealed that they will launch expanding military operation to liberate the areas controlled by the insurgents in Sada Governorate.
Military sources revealed that the army was capable to capture scores of Houthis and militias linked to their ally ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, amid ongoing attempts to reveal their identities. In the meantime, field operations were launched at several fronts, while military Yemeni sources asserted seeing modern weapons used by the Houthis and the militias of former Saleh in the last couple of days.
The modern weapons include Russian-made heat seeking missiles, which can reach about 505 kilometers, in addition to U.S. sniper rifles that have a range of 3.5 kilometers. According to military sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the modern weapons, particularly the heat seeking missiles, had helped the Houthi militias advance at several fronts, in a desperate attempt to compensate their previous losses and win back some regions in the besieged district.
General Saif told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Yemeni army had observed in the last military confrontations, Houthis using these weapons. Saif said these modern arms hold a significant military value for being able to destroy any military target, including armored tanks. Therefore, he added: “These weapons could hit directly the opposite party.”
Saif said he believes that the military capabilities of the militias were enhanced during the armistice that was announced lately and during negotiations that took place in Kuwait last month before being halted on the occasion of the Eid holidays.
In a separate development, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met in Makkah on Sunday evening with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the envoy of the U.N. Secretary General, and discussed with him the latest developments in Yemen.
In the same context, sources revealed that Iranian Revolutionary Guard managed to smuggle a shipment of chemical weapons to the Houthi insurgents in Yemen through an international trade ship coming from Djibouti to the Yemeni port of Hadida.
On the other hand, Gulf Cooperation Council called the different components of Yemeni people to refuse the calls aiming to divide the country during the current critical period, stressing the need for rallying behind the legitimate government to restore security and stability in all over the country. The council renewed its position supporting the unity of the country and its sovereignty.
The Council stressed its support for the efforts exerted by the United Nations to reach a peaceful solution for the Yemeni crisis during the current critical period witnessed in the country according to the Gulf initiative and results of national dialogue in addition to UN Security Council Resolution (2216).