Yemeni Forces Take Control of Crucial Military Base in Ma'rib (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Yemen’s armed forces and allied Popular Committees conquered a key military post manned by Saudi militants loyal to former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, bringing them closer to the core of the region's petroleum reserves in Ma’rib province.
Yemeni army troops and their allies conducted strong attacks in the al-Jubah area of Ma'rib on Friday, and managed to seize the Umm Reesh camp after hours of fighting with Saudi mercenaries, according to local military sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The sources added that the Yemeni forces raided the military base from various directions, and forced the Saudi-backed militants to withdraw from the area.
They noted that the base includes training centers, and it is the last bastion for Saudi-sponsored forces in the southern part of Ma’rib.
The sources went on to say that the withdrawal of Saudi mercenaries from Um Reesh base came after the Yemeni army soldiers and Popular Committees fighters targeted the military site with ballistic missiles and heavy artillery rounds.
The fall of Umm Reesh has accelerated the advance of Yemeni army forces and their allies on the Safar region, which includes Ma'rib province's oil and gas reserves.
The Yemeni military sources highlighted that fierce clashes between the two sides continue in several highlands overlooking al-Khashina base. Neither side has managed to score any field progress yet.
Saudi Arabia, backed by the US and regional allies, launched the war on Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the Hadi government back to power and crushing Ansarullah. The war has left hundreds of thousands of Yemenis dead, and displaced millions more. It has also destroyed Yemen’s infrastructure and spread famine and infectious diseases.
Yemeni armed forces and the Popular Committees have grown steadily in strength against the Saudi-led invaders, and left Riyadh and its allies bogged down in the country.
