Rashad Al-Alimi confirms the ability of the armed forces to liberate Yemeni lands and repel Houthi attacks

The head of the Yemeni Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, confirmed that the armed forces, which have proven their steadfastness and decisive deterrence, are capable of liberating all of the state’s lands and continuing their constitutional duty to defend their citizens and the country’s supreme interests, stressing their progress towards the comprehensive national goal of restoring state institutions, as an irreversible option, no matter the sacrifices.

During his contacts with military and field commanders, Al-Alimi appreciated the victories and important field gains achieved by the armed forces and all the formations stationed in the fields on the Taiz and Hodeidah fronts, praising the units of the “National Resistance, Giants, and Al-Tuhamiya” brigades that completed the liberation and security of the Hays District, and the heroes in Haifan, and the active role of the Air Force in supporting forces on the ground and dealing efficiently with hostile threats in various theaters of operations.

Al-Alimi said, “The Houthis chose this adventure, and tested the state and its armed forces on one of the most solid fronts in Yemen, and they will bear the full consequences. They must now realize that their miscalculations will open the doors to a comprehensive downfall for them,” stressing: “Taiz will not be a safe passage for the projects and agenda of the militia’s supporters, and the armed forces responded to its attack and seized the initiative on the ground.”

According to the official news agency, the president was briefed on the latest developments in the operations, the gains achieved on the ground, the level of combat readiness, and the procedures for stabilizing and securing the liberated areas, and clearing the rest of the sites into which the militia infiltrated, directing “to continue performing military tasks responsibly and competently, maintain the initiative, and raise the level of coordination between the various units and formations in the theater of operations.”

He also directed all military commanders, units and formations to “strictly adhere to the provisions of international humanitarian law and the rules of engagement, protect civilians and public and private property, facilitate the arrival of aid and relief for the displaced, treat detainees well, and preserve their dignity and rights,” and said: “The hand that bears arms in defense of the republic must also remain the hand of the state and the rule of law.”

Al-Alimi stressed that the sacrifices of the heroes of the armed forces and military formations “will continue to be a subject of honor and loyalty to the state and the people,” and that “the pure blood of the martyrs is what today makes the Yemenis’ path toward restoring their state, freedom, and dignity,” directing the competent authorities to “provide the necessary care and treatment for the wounded, care for the families of the martyrs, and fulfill their rights and entitlements, on the basis that this is a national and moral duty that does not accept complacency or delay.”

The President held the Houthis fully responsible for the violations that accompanied their criminal escalation, and their targeting of residential areas and public roads with bombing, snipers, and drones, and the resulting civilian casualties, kidnappings, and displacement of hundreds of families, noting that “these crimes will not be subject to a statute of limitations, and that the progress of the armed forces will continue to be accompanied by the highest levels of concern for the lives and safety of citizens.”

Al-Alimi renewed his call on all political and social forces, thought and awareness platforms, and the media, to “unify the national ranks, strengthen confidence in the armed forces and all military formations, and not be drawn into campaigns of doubt, betrayal, bickering, and healing that only serve terrorist militias.”

He also renewed his call on tribal people and those who were deceived in Houthi-controlled areas “not to throw their sons into a battle that serves a project that has nothing to do with the interests of the Yemenis,” calling on those still in the ranks of the militia to “return to the right path, and not sacrifice their lives for the sake of leaders who have chosen to become dependent on cross-border sabotage projects.”

Arab foreign ministers will hold a meeting, Monday, at the beginning of the 166th session of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers. An Arab diplomatic source said that “the meeting will issue a decision regarding Iranian attacks on Arab countries.”

The source added to Asharq Al-Awsat that “the meeting of the permanent delegates of the Arab League, which was held on Saturday, discussed the agenda of the ministerial meeting,” noting that “the delegates discussed developments in the regional situation and the repercussions of the Iranian war, in addition to developments in the Palestinian issue as it is the main Arab issue.”

The source revealed, “The permanent delegates agreed to issue a statement regarding Israeli violations at the conclusion of the ministerial meeting next Monday, along with the meeting’s decisions that will focus on condemning Iranian attacks on Arab countries.”

The permanent delegates held a meeting, on Saturday, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League in Cairo, in the context of preparing for the meeting of Arab foreign ministers, in the presence of Ambassador Sherif Kamel, Head of the Office of the Secretary-General of the Arab League. The meeting witnessed Tunisia assuming the presidency of the 166th session of the League Council, succeeding Bahrain.

Ambassador Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, Permanent Representative of Bahrain, stressed in her speech during the meeting that Arab national security is “one indivisible unit,” and that Palestine will remain the central Arab issue.

The Bahrain delegate condemned the Iranian attacks that targeted countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Kingdom of Jordan, and described them as “a blatant violation of international law and a threat to peace and security in the region, especially in light of the targeting of civilians and civilian objects.”

Bahrain reiterated its position “rejecting any attacks targeting the sovereignty of Arab countries or the security of their citizens,” warning of “the danger of such attacks on the stability of the region.”

In turn, Al-Hashemi Al-Ajili, Director General of Maghreb, Arab and Islamic Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Tunisians Abroad, said in his speech that his country “assumes the presidency of this session in a delicate and sensitive regional circumstance, in which the challenges facing the region are increasing,” stressing “the importance of Arab solidarity, consultation and coordination.”

He affirmed “Tunisia’s support for the Palestinian cause, the right of the Palestinian people to establish their state, adherence to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Arab countries, and strengthening Arab solidarity and unity of ranks, in a way that serves the security and stability of the region.”

The Economic and Social Council of the Arab League held a meeting at the ministerial level in Cairo last Thursday, during which it called for strengthening support for the Palestinian economy through a multi-year program to build capacity and provide technical assistance, and stressed the necessity of moving joint Arab economic and social work from the stage of “coordination and exchanging visions, to implementation and achieving tangible results, and helping unstable, unstable, unstable, unstable countries.”

In his speech during the Economic and Social Council meeting, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Nabil Fahmy, presented 10 priorities for the next stage, which begin with developing “an Arab model for comprehensive development that takes advantage of the human and natural resources of the region,” in addition to supporting the Palestinian people and developing effective executive mechanisms to support their economy, supporting Arab countries facing unstable situations, and activating Arab food security strategies.

The massive ground attack launched by the Houthi group since last Thursday on the fronts of the West Coast, southern Hodeidah, and western Taiz has begun to rebound, with the Yemeni government forces moving to the counterattack and achieving field progress in more than one axis, at a time when air strikes are intensifying on the group’s positions, and the army and resistance forces are trying to cut off their supply lines.

In the most prominent developments on the ground on Saturday morning, the National Resistance Forces, supported by units from the Giants Brigades, began a counterattack south of the Al-Jarrahi District in Hodeidah Governorate, coinciding with their marches carrying out strikes targeting Houthi reinforcements in the region, according to the resistance’s military media.

This move comes as government forces advance from Hays towards Al-Jarrahi, in the eastern south of Hodeidah, in an attempt to regain the initiative on one of the axes that witnessed widespread Houthi attacks during the past days, while military sources reported that the group suffered significant human and material losses during the confrontations.

In southeastern Taiz, government forces made new progress on the Haifan front and, according to a military source, took control of the “Al-Wathra” hill and the “Saeed Taha” hill in the Al-Mafalis area, in addition to the “Dhiban”, “Al-Hadeera” and “Al-Najdin” hills.

The sites that the forces regained control are gaining military importance, as they overlook the Khazja market and Houthi supply lines towards fronts in northwestern Lahj and southern Taiz, according to the same source, which indicated human and material losses among the group’s ranks, and the escape of a number of its members from the sites of confrontations.

In western Taiz, government forces had regained, on Friday, Tabbat al-Khazan in Jabal Habashi District, during violent confrontations with the Houthis, coinciding with the intensification of battles on the Maqbanah and Al-Kadha fronts, and the arrival of reinforcements to government forces.

The successive developments on these fronts indicate that the initiative is gradually shifting from the Houthi attack to government forces, after three days of battles during which the group attempted to make field breakthroughs in southern Hodeidah and western Taiz, especially in Jabal Habashi.

In the Saqm axis, the military media of the National Resistance reported, on Saturday, that the forces of the Second Division were “harassing” the Houthis in the Muharraq Mountains, while the naval forces of the Resistance announced the destruction of two Houthi booby-trapped boats that attempted to target the Al-Fajra area, south of Al-Khokha, and the port of Mokha.

Military sources also announced the thwarting of a Houthi infiltration attempt from the eastern entrance to the city of Taiz, and the killing of a number of the group's members, while confrontations continued in different sectors of the front.

This coincided with the Haijat al-Abd road linking Taiz and Aden being subjected to Houthi bombing, which, according to local and medical sources, resulted in the killing of four civilians and the injury of nine others, in addition to material damage to the site.

These incidents reflect the expansion of the Houthi escalation to include roads and civilian areas, coinciding with the ground operations that the group is waging on the lines of contact.

For the first time, the Yemeni army announced the use of its warplanes to target Houthi positions on the Taiz and Hodeidah fronts, in a remarkable development in the course of the current battles.

The Armed Forces Media Center said, on Friday evening, that warplanes launched more than 15 raids on Houthi sites, gatherings, and vehicles on the western coast fronts in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, in conjunction with continued artillery shelling and ground clashes.

Military sources reported that Yemeni aviation continued its raids on the group’s sites in Taiz and Hodeidah, targeting supply lines and weapons stores, at a time when Houthi sites in the city of Al-Hazm in Al-Jawf Governorate were subjected to air strikes, according to military sources.

Field sources say that the Houthi losses during the three days of confrontations were large, and that hundreds of deaths and injuries fell among the group's ranks, while hospitals under its control in Hodeidah are facing increasing pressure due to the arrival of the dead and wounded in the battles.

The group transferred a new batch of those killed and wounded from the clashes to Al-Jarrahī and Zabid hospitals, according to local media sources, in an indication of the extent of the losses suffered by its forces during the attack, and attempts to repel counterattacks.

On the other hand, the Houthis continue to send reinforcements to the areas of confrontation, in an attempt to preserve the positions where they achieved initial progress, and to contain the counterattack by government forces.

In light of the expansion of the confrontations, the Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Command Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, and members of the Council followed developments in military operations, and made contact with military and field commands to review the progress of battles, readiness, and operational and logistical needs, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

On Friday evening, Al-Alimi warned of the repercussions of the Houthi escalation, holding the group responsible for its resulting humanitarian effects, including the displacement of hundreds of families from areas of confrontation.

He stressed that government forces would not allow the achievement of what he described as Iran's goal of controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait, stressing that any movement towards these areas would lead to severe attrition of the Houthis.

This comes as the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation called on international organizations and donors for urgent humanitarian intervention to help displaced and affected families in Taiz and Hodeidah, warning of the increasing needs for shelter, food, medicine, water, and medical services, and calling for the establishment of field hospitals to receive the wounded.

Last August, Mocha and its port were subjected to a series of Houthi attacks with ballistic missiles and drones, in an escalation that affected civilian facilities and objects, and led to the disruption of the port’s movement and its facilities being out of service, at a time when government forces responded with military operations and strikes targeting the group’s movements and offensive capabilities.