Yemen/ Saudi update 12/26/2016..Intense battles between Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Marib

Yemen: Intense battles break out between Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Marib

Yemen Huthis at the front in the area of Al Jamil, Taiz province

Yemeni military and the Houthis are fighting with Saudi mercenaries in the province of Taiz.

Yemeni Army, Popular Forces Kill Scores of Saudi Militias in Sana’a

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951006001493

An informed military source disclosed that a large number of the pro-Saudi mercenaries have been killed in the Yemeni army and popular forces’ military operations in the Ninth District in Eastern Sana’a. The Yemeni forces targeted and destroyed the pro-Saudi militias’ gathering centers and their armored vehicles in the Ninth District, killing at least 15 mercenaries.

Meantime, the Yemeni forces in several separate military operations managed to attack the military positions of the Saudi mercenaries in Najran, Jizan and Ta’iz, inflicting heavy casualties and losses on them. The Yemeni snipers also killed a Saudi mercenary in al-Tal’a in Najran, while the Yemeni army’s missile units hit Saudi Arabia’s al-Qarn military base in Jizan with several Katyusha rockets.

Meantime, a security source disclosed that the Yemeni army’s artillery unit hit the gathering center of the Saudi army in Kobra al-Khobeh region in al-Hmar hilltop of Jizan province. In relevant remarks earlier on Monday, a senior military commander disclosed on Monday that over 100 Saudi soldiers and officers have been killed and many more injured by Yemeni snipers over the past two months. “At least 106 Saudi soldiers and officers have been killed in battlefronts in Jizan, Najran and Assir provinces over the past 2 months,” Senior Ansarullah Commander Ali al-Hamzani told FNA. The commander said that at least 36 Saudi officers have been killed by Yemeni snipers in the kingdom’s Southern provinces in November. Al-Hamzani said that 17 Saudi military men were killed in Assir and Jizan provinces in the first week of December. He reiterated that four other Saudi military personnel were also killed by Yemeni snipers on December 12. “The Yemeni army and popular forces in a special operation by snipers killed eight Saudi officers and injured many more elsewhere,” al-Hamzani added. He noted that the Yemeni snipers killed two Saudi military men in Abu al-Zabreh region of Jizan province on December 22, and said, “Two other Saudi officers were also killed by Yemeni snipers in the Saudi military sites near al-Mazraq region and another one in al-Taba al-Hamra in Jizan province.” Al-Hamzani went on to say that the Yemeni snipers also shot dead three Saudi officers in Najran on December 24, and added, “The Yemeni snipers also shot dead six Saudi soldiers and officers in al-Tal’a military site in Najran on December 25.” Three of the Saudi troops were killed as a result of the attack by Yemeni forces on the Shaja’ military base in Najran on Saturday night, Al Masirah reported.

In a relevant development, Yemeni armed forces also launched rocket attacks at positions of Saudi-backed mercenaries near Khadra border crossing in Najran, killing and wounding a number of them. Earlier, army troops and allied force attacked the Saudi bases of Samnah and Afra in the kingdom’s Southwestern province of Jizan on Saturday night, leaving an unspecified number of military personnel there dead and injured. The Yemeni army also fired several artillery shells at Saudi military positions in Jizan. According to the report, massive explosions also hit the Saudi army’s weapons warehouses to the West of Qais Mountain in Jizan. The Yemeni attacks come in retaliation for Riyadh’s nonstop military campaign against its impoverished neighbor.

Most recently, Saudi fighter jets pounded the Razih district in Yemen’s Sa’ada province and Nihm district, Northwest of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, on Sunday. There were no immediate reports of possible casualties. Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a deadly campaign against Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall the former Yemeni government.

Air defense force begins massive drills in southern Iran

Over 17,000 Iranian forces to take part in major air defense drills