FIERCE CLASHES BETWEEN SAUDI-LED FORCES AND HOUTHIS ONGOING IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN YEMEN

On December 30, forces loyal to Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi captured al-Yatiymah area in Khabb wa Sha’af district of the northern province of al-Jawf, according to the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV.

The media outlet said that pro-Hadi fighters captured 59 fighters of the Houthis and killed many others during their advance in Khabb wa Sha’af.

The Saudi-led coalition military operation in al-Jawf is aimed at besieging the heartland of the Houthis, Saada city. However, the Saudi-led coalition is still over 150km east of Saada.

Meanwhile, in western Yemen, the Houthis conducted a series of hit and run attacks against several positions of pro-Hadi forces and the Saudi-led coalition north of the coastal town of Yakhtul in the province of Taiz, according to the Yemeni al-Masirah TV.

During the attacks, the Houthis destroyed several vehicles and fortifications of the Saudi-led coalitions with ATGMs, rocket-propelled grenades and IEDs.

Over the last two weeks, the Houthis have increased their resistance against the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni western coast. Houthi fighters didn’t not only hold the advance of the Saudi-backed forces, but also besieged the attackers from the northern, eastern and southern directions.

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