Houthis launch an attack on Yemeni forces as militia operations intensify in Shabwa
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Sulaiman
- . March 27, 2023
- . Update: March 27, 2023 11:30 pm
In response to the Houthi militia’s ongoing expansion of military operations, Yemeni government troops in the southern province of Shabwa declared on Sunday that they had repelled a Houthi attack on their positions.
The Merkhah Al Ulya area and the adjoining Bayda province are connected by a range of mountains, where the Houthis attacked the Shabwa Defense Forces on Saturday. There were numerous reports of casualties on both sides as a result.
The Houthis were reportedly forced to halt their assault and retire after failing to seize the highlands, and military reinforcements were rushed to the front lines to stave off any further action, according to government troops.
According to unofficial Houthi media outlets, its troops had penetrated 8 kilometres into area controlled by the government in Merkhah Al Ulya.
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According to a Yemeni official in Shabwa, the Houthi attacks weren’t meant to take control the region but rather to divert government troops.
The official, who asked to remain anonymous, stated: “The goal of the strike is to stir up sluggish waters, rather than a full-scale military action in the area.”
Only a few days have passed since fierce fighting broke out in the central Marib province when government troops were ambushed in rural Hareb.
On Sunday, the fighting stopped amid rumors that the government had reclaimed villages that the Houthis had taken control of.
Nabil Shamsan, the governor of Taiz, reported on Twitter that the Houthis attacked his convoy on Saturday when it was traveling back to Taiz from the Red Sea city of Mocha for 90 minutes with guided missiles, mortars, and artillery bombs.
In the event, one of his bodyguards was murdered and two others were hurt. Outrage and predictions of the potential collapse of UN-led diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been provoked by Houthi assaults and the militia’s expansion of its military activity.
Additionally, the Yemeni Ministry for Human Rights said on Sunday that the Houthis had surrounded historic districts of the city of Ibb and had detained a large number of people, including two social media activists who had participated in a protest against the militia last week.
On Thursday, a funeral for a social media personality evolved into a demonstration against the Houthis. In October, the Houthis kidnapped influencer Hamdi Abdel-Razzaq, commonly known as Al-Mukahal, for criticizing corruption. Protesters charged the militia with his kidnapping, torture, and eventual execution.
According to the Yemeni government, armed Houthi forces in military vehicles encircled Ibb, where the influencer had resided, carried out home raids, and detained other individuals.
