Al Mukalla: Yemeni government forces captured a major Al Houthi-held military post on the Red Sea after heavy clashes with the Iran-backed rebels, a spokesperson for the Yemen army said.
Government forces stormed Al Ameri military camp in the Taiz province after heavy air strikes by Saudi-led coalition fighter jets.
The camp is located 35km north of Bab Al Mandab, the strategic strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
“The national army forces liberated Al Ameri camp and are now fighting their way into other regions,” he said.
After clearing the camp, government forces are now the closest they have ever been to Mocha since the beginning of the war, which started in early 2015.
Maj. Gen. Fadhel Hassan, commander of the Aden-based 4th Militry Region, was quoted by the state-run Saba news agency as saying that government forces battled Al Houthis near Al Jaded region and are determined to press on until they drive the rebels from all the coastal areas.
On Friday night, the army along with the Saudi-led coalition launched a major offensive to liberate the country’s long western coastline including Mocha seaport, a notorious spot for smuggling arms from Iran into Yemen.
Operation Golden Arrow has proved to be a successful offensive as Al Houthi militants have lost a string of strongholds.
The official news agency reported on Monday that the coalition’s naval forces in the Red Sea struck Al Houthi military positions in Mocha in an apparent move to pave the way for the ground forces to make headway and prevent Al Houthis from sending reinforcements to their men on the battlefield.
Taiz’s coastal belt is mainly limited to three districts: Dhobab, Al Wazyia and Mouza.
Government forces are currently battling the rebels in Mouza and Al Wazyia after taking control of Dhobab, Saba said.
Army commanders who previously spoke to Gulf News about the significance of the recent territorial gains say government forces have completely secured the strategic Bab Al Mandab and that it is no longer under threat from Al Houthis missiles.
Meanwhile, in Taiz’s rugged mountains, residents said on Tuesday that government forces seized control of the highest mountain in Magbanh district and began bombarding the rebels in neighbouring hilly areas.
Taiz, Yemen’s third largest city, has been at the epicentre of bloody battles since early 2015 when Al Houthis took control of the suburbs during their rapid military expansion across Yemen.
