DID Press: Ansarullah has released details of what it described as a large-scale operation on Yemen’s western coast that began on Sept. 3 on the al-Kadhah front west of Taiz, claiming that its forces captured the coastal city of Mokha, several Yemeni islands in the Red Sea, and key military positions around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Yahya Saree, a spokesman for Ansarullah, said the operation was launched in response to attacks on villages and civilians along the western coast. He said forces from Sanaa, in cooperation with local tribes, engaged in fighting from several directions.
According to Saree, Ansarullah forces pushed Saudi-backed forces out of six areas across Taiz and Hodeidah provinces, covering more than 5,400 square km.
Saree also said seven military formations comprising 38 brigades had been targeted, with hundreds of military personnel killed, wounded or captured. He added that Yemen’s air defenses had intercepted 32 Saudi fighter jets, nine of which were reportedly shot down.
According to the report, Ansarullah captured a number of command centers, military camps, airfields and logistical facilities along the western coast. Among the sites listed were Khalid bin al-Walid Base, Jabal al-Nar Camp, military and naval facilities in Mokha, al-Omari Camp and al-Omari Schools in Dhubab, as well as the Mokha and Dhubab airports.
The strategic Mayun Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, along with Greater Hanish, Lesser Hanish and Zuqar islands, were also listed among the areas said to have come under Ansarullah control.
The group further said it had taken control of naval bases, coast guard facilities, radar stations and weapons depots in parts of the western coastal region.
Ansarullah military sources said they had captured equipment belonging to nearly 30 military brigades. The equipment reportedly included U.S.-made Oshkosh, Nimr and Shibl armored vehicles, tanks, self-propelled artillery, armed vehicles, Kornet and TOW anti-tank missiles, and B-10 recoilless rifles.
Meanwhile, images showing hundreds of prisoners in Mokha have been circulated, while sources reported the possibility of an amnesty for around 3,500 additional prisoners.
Ansarullah described the operation as one of its largest military operations in the past five years and said it had dealt a major blow to the military structure of Saudi- and UAE-backed forces along the western coast, including forces affiliated with Tariq Saleh and the Tihama Resistance brigades.
The group also said it would continue its strategy of “blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation” until attacks stop and the blockade is lifted. It added that shipping in the Red Sea would remain safe, except for Saudi vessels subject to its stated sanctions.