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Written by Akram Abu Abs exclusively for SouthFront
The past week has seen increasing pressure from all corners against the Saudi imposed war of aggression in Yemen:
Sources in the White House admit to doubts continuing support of close ally Saudi Arabia in Yemen, but have reassured skeptics that second-guessing their relationship could jeopardize the whole situation as the Iran nuclear deal has already strained tensions and that they have no intention to distance themselves from their most powerful ally in the region.
MSF has called upon Saudi Arabia to provide convincing reasons for the several airstrikes against their medical facility in northwestern Yemen. Amnesty International said the Saudi attack on the hospital could amount to a war crime. The UN also condemned airstrike calling for an immediate probe into the incident.
Yemen’s Houthi alliance said that efforts to convene UN-backed peace talks to find a political solution to the ongoing crisis in the Arab country have failed.
Saudi support for the militant groups, specially Al-Qaeda and the ISIL, in Aden has resulted in a rise in the number of the terrorist attacks on influential political figures and senior officers. Two suspected CIA operatives, American citizens, Mark McAllister and John Hamen, who were ostensibly working for a maintenance company, Al Rafideen, were arrested on espionage charges by Ansarullah of the Houthi alliance.
- October 29, Over 1,000 militants started their training in the Salah al-Din camp in Aden, before joining the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the fight against the Houthi alliance, with another 500-1000 expected soon. At least 13 people died and 14 were injured in Taiz after a Saudi coalition airstrike hit a bus carrying Hayel Saeed Anam Group company employees. The Houthi alliance missiles forces shelled a number of Saudi military locations with MLRS sytems. The Zabnah military location and governmental compound in Arrabu’ah, the Nahuqa military location in Najran, the Al-Shabaka location and Defense Compound in Al-Khubah, Jizan were targeted. They also targeted two military vehicles used by mercenaries as they tried to advance towards the east of Sirwah, Mareb, killing tens, injuring several others and captured another 15. A military plane of the Saudi coalition forces used for dropping weapons and ammunition for the terrorists and Saudi troops in the province of Ta’iz was shot down by the Houthi alliance over the mountainous area of Hasban, Sabr in Ta’iz.
- October 29, Airstrikes targeted a mosque and a house in Saqayn district and against Kitaf district of Sa’ada and in Sirwah district of Ma’rib. In airstrikes against civilian neighborhoods in Majaz district, 12 people were killed, including children and women, and several houses were destroyed. Another 7 civilians were killed and 8 wounded in Nadheer, Razih district. Saudi coalition airstrikes bombarded Jaref, destroying houses and agricultural machinery. More than 90 homes and governmental facilities have also been destroyed in Hamadan, Sana’a, killing 14 people, including six women, and injuring 42 others. A total of 15 facilities were destroyed including schools, medical buildings and mosques as well as 74 houses and tens of hectares of agricultural lands. Saudi coalition airstrikes also targeted Khawlan, Sana’a and also bombed the port city of Mokha, south of Sana’a.
- October 30, Saudi coalition airstrikes mistakenly targeted some of their militants in Ma’rib, killing and injuring scores of militants. The Houthi alliance fired rockets at the Al-Shaibani military base in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Dhahran region, with no immediate reports on possible casualties. Saudi fighter jets also struck the house of local councilor Abdullah al-Fazliin Ta’izz but possible casualties are unconfirmed.
- October 31, The Houthi alliance targeted Saudi coalition positions inside Yemen and on Saudi soil, inflicting heavy losses by destroying a number of bases and arms depots between Yemen’s Ma’rib and al-Jawf Provinces. It also foiled the advance of the Saudi coalition towards At Tabab. Separately, several Saudi soldiers were wounded in rocket attacks on their base in Saudi’s Jizan and Najran. A number of al-Qaeda militants and Takfiri Daesh terrorists were also killed, their hideouts destroyed and weapons and military equipment captured from them in Az Zahir, Al-Bayda province. Another drone was downed in al-Zaher region. Thus far a total of 17 F-15 fighter planes, 9 Apache helicopters and several transport planes and reconnaissance drones have been shot down.
- November 1, The Houthi alliance destroyed an Abrams tank during a retaliatory attack deep within Saudi territory. A Saudi soldier was also killed after salvos of rockets were fired at army positions in Jizan. Several Saudi military bases and camps also came under fire in the kingdom’s Najran region. The Houthi alliance targeted several military army bases and posts in massive missile and artillery attacks on Al-Mosfeq and Al-Ramza, Al-Qarn, Qaem Zobeid, Jonoub al-Kobra and Soudaneh village in Jizan and Najran region in Southern Saudi Arabia. Three people were killed in a car bomb attack near the University of Ibb, district of ar-Radmah, in Ibb province.
- November 1, Saudi coalition airstrikes targeted the new souk area in Haymah Kharejyah, Sana’a province wounding five citizens wounded and also waged several raids on Sanhan and the villages of Sana’a and Bait Zabatan, causing damage to citizens’ houses. Several areas in the provinces of Hajjah and Marib were also hit causing damage to many houses, properties and farms. The road between Sana’a and Marib was also hit damaging houses and property. Al-Sabeen’s Nahdain area was hit with high-explosive bombs, which caused damage to many houses of the citizens and residential buildings in the area. Ibb also received four airstrikes.
- November 02, The Houthi alliance pounded military positions in Southern Saudi Arabia, destroying a battle tank and ammunition depot in Najran, informed sources said. They also targeted al-Mehdhar military camp and government complex as well as a military site in Rebo’a district in the kingdom’s Asir region. Unknown gunmen killed two senior Yemeni officers, Major Mi’ad Fazl in Enma district as well as Abdul Vahed Fareh in al-Mansoura region. There was also an attempt on the life of Lahij Prosecutor General Abdollah Mohammad Saeed in Al-Fayoush region, Aden, but he escaped with injuries.
- November 3, A number of mercenaries from the Saudi coalition were seized at Sana’a arriving from Marib. One of them was wearing an explosive belt. Saudi coalition warplanes destroyed a house in Bani Matar, Sana’a province.
Saudi strikes serves little tactical objectives, almost like a cornered animal while it is clearly losing large amounts of material and personnel. Will they submit to negotiations for a political settlement?