Arab coalition gains as airstrike kill 13 rebels in Yemen
dubai — At least 13 Houthi rebels and members of forces loyal to ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh were killed and several injured in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike at Hajja governorate, 123km west of the capital Sanaa on Sunday.
The coalition forces have also retaken most parts of Meedi area.
“Jetfighters of the Arab Coalition had launched five airstrikes at the rebels positions in Hardh and Meedi sectors over the last 24 hours,” said the media centre of the fifth military zone on its Facebook account.
The centre said two airstrikes had targeted two armed patrols of the militias in the eastern part of Hardh city, while three other airstrikes targeted rebel gatherings at two positions in Al Khadraam, southwest of Meedi.
“Warplanes of the Arab Coalition had launched extensive airstrikes on the positions of Houthi and Saleh militias in Taiz and Sada governorates as well as Mareb governorate, which had seen victories of the legitimate government forces
The control over sarwah front has militarily strategic importance as it cuts off many supply lines of the saleh and Houthi rebels in Marabm Military sources
and accomplishments, most prominently a number of leaders of the rebels were killed in a qualitative operation”, said the centre’s report.
Military sources told Sky News Arabia that the warplanes had bombed rebel targets in Sarwah, where the battles between the government forces and the insurgents continued after a day when the troops had controlled most of the front.
“The legitimate government forces backed by the Arab Coalition forces continued fighting on Sarwah front, where the national army had seized an arms cache in the perimeter of Hilan Mountsin, after managing to re-take Al Mokhdara region”, sources said.
“The control over Sarwah front has strategic importance as it cuts off many supply lines of Saleh and Houthi rebels in Marabm and steps up pressure on the insurgents in Sanaa, hence making it easy for retaking the capital itself,” the sources noted.
In Taiz governorate, the coalition forces bombed rebel positions in the north of Al Makha province after the rebels fired missiles on government forces, said the sources, adding that the strikes resulted in killings and injuries among the rebels.
Warplanes also bombed most of the areas south and middle Yemen, many positions in Mran area in Sada governorate, the stronghold of the rebels where their embattled leader Abdul malik Al Houthi is present.
Coalition-backed Yemeni army have full control on Meedi city and its surrounding areas, except the southern part. The army also succeeded in recapturing new military positions in Hardh province at Hajja governorate. This coincided with targeting the anticipated landing areas on the Hudidda coasts and islands, setting the ground for a battle to liberate them.