Aden: Saudi-led coalition forces advanced on Monday towards Yemen’s third city Taiz after sending major reinforcements in a bid to break a months-long siege by Iran-backed militants, military officials said.
The move comes ahead of an expected offensive to retake the city, seen as a gateway to controlling the militant-held capital, said the Yemeni officials.
Armoured demining vehicles and other reinforcements arrived in the Shuraija region, between the loyalist-controlled Lahej province and Taiz in the southwest, said officials in the main southern city of Aden.
Sudanese forces from the strategic Al Anad airbase in Lahej are taking part in the Taiz operations, according to the sources.
Taiz has seen heavy fighting in recent months between Al Houthi militants and forces loyal to President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s internationally recognised government.
Loyalist forces are inside Taiz, while Al Houthi militants and troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh control the main roads leading into the city.
Along the coast, coalition troops deployed in Dhabab in a bid to advance onto the Red sea city of Mokha, a part of Taiz province which is under rebel control, the sources said.
On Sunday, military officials spoke of major coalition reinforcements of troops and equipment arriving to Taiz from Aden.
Meanwhile, three pro-government fighters and two Al Houthis were killed in clashes an area on the border between Taiz and Lahej, military officials said, adding that loyalists managed to retake a hill overlooking the area.
This month, a 400-strong Sudanese force arrived in Aden in support of loyalist forces, joining 500 who arrived last month.
Some 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict since March, more than half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.
A new round of UN-brokered Yemen talks to end the conflict is expected to kick off in Geneva this month.
