Taiz - Abdel Ghani Yahia
About 35 elements of Houthi militias and other forces loyal to Yemen’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have been killed and injured in Assilan Directorate of Shabwa Governorate, as the governmental troops managed to prevent them from achieving any advance during the current period.
Yemeni city of Taiz witnessed a large number of clashes during the recent hours in different areas between the Yemeni army and Houthi militias, as World Health Organization warned of the increasing number of people who suffer from Cholera, saying that it could reach to over 300 thousand persons.
Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi-led fighter jets seized control of a military camp in the southern city of Taiz as other forces are now engaging in fierce battles with Iran-backed Al Houthis inside the city’s presidential palace, army commanders and residents said on Monday.
Brigadier General Abdo Abdullah Majili, a Yemeni army spokesperson, told Gulf News that government forces secured their grip on Al Tashrefat military camp north of Taiz and began defusing a large number of landmines planted by the fleeing Al Houthis. “By taking control of Al Tashrefat military camp, the national army forces would be able to cut military reinforcements to Al Houthi fighters in different locations.”
Yemen’s Army carried out a surprise attack on the strongholds of Houthi militias on early Tuesday in Shabwa governorate, as it led to the killing of a large number of militants loyal to the insurgents. Meanwhile, the governmental troops loyal to Yemen’s legitimate government clashed with the insurgents, leading to the killing of at least seven militants and the injury of others.
On Tuesday morning, the Green Front witnessed fierce clashes between army forces in the 19th Brigade and the insurgent militias, as the army has made significant progress toward the central security camp at the northern frontier in Taiz.
According to a military source, the battles carried out by the national army resulted in the control of the Hamad hospital building and the surrounding buildings near the Sanaa suburb, which was occupied by snipers and is the defense lines of the coup militia.
Saudi-led Arab Coalition forces backing legitimacy forces in Yemen announced destroying a medium-range missile shipment headed for insurgency militias based in the northeast Saada province in the war-torn country. Intelligence showed that the cargo was headed for Houthi headquarters.
Saada’s Media Center said in a brief statement published on its social networking “Facebook” page that an Arab-coalition aircraft targeted a truck carrying medium-range missiles for Houthi and coup militias in Saada’s Kitaf district. Coincidentally, fighting continued across various fronts in Yemen, where violent confrontations centered on Yemen’s west coast and west of Taiz.
Pro-government national army troops and popular resistance forces have made continued advances clearing insurgency-held districts, like Taiz where the strategic camp of Khalid bin Walid is found. Military clashes erupted between national army forces and the Iran-backed militias also in Al-Hamli, Taiz, hours after national troops broke the barrier into coup-run areas.
A military source in Taiz said that coup militias were based in the Jubail area and a mountain chain overlooking the Khalid bin Walid camp. The national army, which began combing through militia land pockets, said that insurgents had planted landmines before retreating from the area.
On humanitarian side, Saudi Arabia has announced a donation of $66.7 million to UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and their partners to respond to the outbreak of cholera in Yemen.
The amount had been requested by UNICEF and WHO as the total funding needed to respond effectively to the cholera situation in Yemen, through a combination of water, sanitation and health care activities.
The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief) will work with UNICEF, WHO and their partners to activate the new initiative, starting immediately.
The donation is an initiative of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and accelerates the Kingdom’s substantial humanitarian efforts in Yemen.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and general supervisor of KSRelief, said: “Saudi Arabia is committed to working closely with our aid partners to effectively address the cholera and general humanitarian situation in Yemen. We have listened to the call from UNICEF and WHO for an immediate donation of $66.7 million to address cholera specifically, and have acted accordingly.
“We will continue to work with our partners across a broad range of humanitarian and relief efforts for the people of Yemen.”