YEMEN MAP OF WAR – NOV. 11, 2015

Written by Akram Abu Abs exclusively for SouthFront

Yemeni scholars held a forum on the issue of resistance and called on the Yemeni nation to unite against Saudi Arabia. They also condemned the international silence over the ongoing Saudi atrocities.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, on an official visit to Iran, said that there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and urged political dialog to end the fighting there. He said the goal is to bring about a ceasefire and get all political actors in the country to the negotiating table. The Saudi aggression has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 7,100 people and injured nearly 14,000 others. The strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories. Human rights groups and international organizations have voiced deep concern over the rising number of civilian casualties in Yemen, calling for an end to the conflict.

The Saudi blockade has hampered aid shipments to the country, which imports 90 percent of its food all of Yemen’s ambulances have stopped working over the lack of fuel. Yemeni health officials have called on humanitarian organizations to help save the lives of millions of people who do not have access to health and medical services in the country.

The ICRC delegation in Yemen said that the neutrality of healthcare facilities and staff is not being respected as health facilities are deliberately attacked and surgical and medical supplies are also being blocked from reaching hospitals in areas under siege.

The past week has seen massive gains by the Houthi alliance in southwestern areas of Saudi Arabia and recovery of many of the districts lost in the south of Yemen, northeast of Aden. What will the Saudi coalition priority be: recover one of their cities in the Kingdom now occupied by the Houthi alliance or try to hold Aden against a determined attack?

November 5, the Houthi alliance killed dozens of Saudi coalition fighters in Ta’izz. They also seized a military base and killed a senior commander. In a failed attempt to take the base back, a number of the Saudi coalition’s military vehicles were destroyed. The Houthi alliance also launched missile attacks on a Saudi base in Jizan and in al-Khobe, Jizan. They also attacked several key Saudi military positions in Aseer and Najran. A Saudi F-16 warplane was shot down by the Houthi alliance in Bilad al-Rus, Sana’a and the pilot was taken into custody. Earlier, a Saudi spy drone was also shot down in Sa’ada Province.

November 6, a fourth Saudi coalition warship was sunk by the Houthi alliance off the coast of Mocha. They also launched rocket attacks against Saudi military bases in the province of Jizan and at the Tuwal and al-Khowjarah military bases and on al-Doud Mountains along the Saudi border.

November 7, the Houthi alliance imposed full control over the Saudi border city of Rabuah, the first Saudi city occupied by the Houthi! This has massive implications for the Saudi alliance as it cuts off their strategic supply line to northwestern Yemen.

November 8, al-Thawra hospital, one of the main healthcare facilities in Ta’izz, which is providing treatment for about 50 injured people every day, was targeted by Saudi coalition airstrikes. The Saudi coalition jet fighters killed a woman and wounded two children in a residential area in Sana’a and also hit two bridges in Sa’ada province.

November 8, the Houthi alliance captured the city of Damt (Dammat) in contested al-Dhale after intense fire-fights and the Saudi coalition troops. Shawba’s al-Mayzir Fortress was also captured. East of Sana’a, several sites in Mareb, including the strategic hill-tops of al-Yaes overlooking Koufal Camp, were captured after Saudi funded mercenaries fled! Houthi alliance fighters are now positioned on a hill overlooking the strategic al-Anad airbase in Lahj province where Sudanese forces are housed.

November 8, in al-Madaribah on the Lahj and Taez province’s border, fighting resulted in casualties on both sides. The Houthi advance comes as the United Arab Emirates, which has lost 68 soldiers during coalition operations, welcomed the first of its troops returning from Yemen, having been replaced by a second ‘limited’ deployment.

November 9, 400 Sudanese troops in Aden joined Saudi coalition’s military aggression against Yemen, added to the 500 others who arrived in October. Meanwhile, some 1,000 Qatari military forces, backed by more than 200 armored vehicles and 30 Apache combat helicopters, have recently joined the Saudi coalition. As many as 800 Egyptian soldiers had also arrived in Yemen to aid the Saudi coalition in its war against Yemen.

November 9, the Houthi alliance seized the Faridhah military base in Jizan and destroyed three Saudi armored vehicles.

November 10, the Houthi alliance attacked the Saudi coalition positions in Ma’rib province. They have also repelled several attacks by the Saudi coalition forces in Sirwah, Ma’rib. They launched mortar and rocket attacks in Lahij province and began an advance on al-Anad military base in Lahij.

The Saudi coalition had suffered severe losses in territory, personnel and equipment in the past week. Their supply lines by road via Rabuah (now occupied by the Houthi alliance) and by sea via Aden (after the sinking of a fourth warship) have been interrupted.