Al Mukalla: Yemeni government forces battling Iran-backed Al Houthi militants in northern Yemen tightened control on two strategic military camps in Sana’a and Jawf provinces, reaching areas 30km from the capital Sana’a, army commanders said on Thursday.
In Sana’a, Al Houthis were booted out of the Nehim military camps and neighbouring rugged hills after fierce clashes which claimed lives of many soldiers from both sides.
Journalists embedded with advancing forces posted photos of the ravaged camp.
Colonel Arraf Mohsen Al Obeidi, a pro-government army officer, told Gulf News that the forces stormed the camp after clearing the adjacent hills from Al Houthi snipers.
“National army soldiers and resistance fighters are now freely roaming inside the camp,” he said.
من قلب الحدث… سيطرة كاملة علي معسكر فرضة نهم شرق صنعاء .التحام جميع جبهات الجيش الوطني والمقاومة الشعبية وتوجهها نحو مسورة ونقيل بن غيلان .مليشيات الحوثي وقوات صالح دمرت جميع العبارات والطريق مازال مغلق .
Posted by محمد القاضي on Thursday, 11 February 2016
Government fighters laid siege on the camp from three directions earlier this week.
Al Houthis were forced to flee, but not before planting a huge number of landmines.
They have repositioned themselves in the surrounding hills.
Al Obeidi said that the militants blew up bridges and roads to the camp and planted landmines to retard the government forces’ advance.
Soldiers say that days of intensive fighting and a month of heavy bombardment by the Saudi-led Arab coalition have reduced the camp to ruins.
Officials say after controlling the camp, government forces are now less than 30km from the capital for the first time since the beginning of military operations against Al Houthis early last year.
Commenting on the significance of the camps, Al Obeidi said that government forces have secured the Marib-Nehim road which will enable them to send military reinforcements from Marib and prevent the militants from shelling Marib.
By controlling the camp that overlooks the vast and hilly Nehim, government forces can now move safely in the area.
Al Houthis have fled to the village of Beran.
As government forces advance towards the capital, army commanders predict fierce clashes with elite republican guard forces loyal to ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, at the Bani Dohara military camp.
Also in the north, government forces recaptured the Al Khanjer military camp in Jawf’s Khab and Al Sha’af district.
They are now advancing to the regions of Al Akama and Al Ajasher, which border the Al Houthi stronghold of Saada, army officers told Gulf News.
Military operations in northern Yemen kicked off last year when thousands of Yemeni and coalition troops marched into Jawf and Sana’a from their bases in the Marib province.
With air support from the coalition, government troops are in control of the capital of Jawf and other districts, in addition to the Nehim district in Sana’a.
Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of Arab countries in Yemen, who are fighting what they view as Iranian meddling in Arab countries.
The coalition includes troops from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Sudan.
