Houthis Relinquish Positions in Taiz after Siege of Sana’a

Jeddah- Yemen’s national army and Popular Resistance, on feb.17, registered a sizable withdrawal of Houthi militia and Republican Guard supporters of the ousted Ali Abdullah Saleh. The drawback was recorded in areas surrounding Taiz, which were previously converted into militant camps and operations’ launch headquarters.

Reasons behind the retraction are still not clear. However, senior military officials denoted that the retreat could be a result of several factors, mainly being that militia leaderships and Republican Guard are barricaded in different areas like Sana’a, Hajjah, and Saada. Militants are given orders to alter course and head towards Sana’a which is being cornered down by pro-legitimacy forces. Militias barricading Taiz are beginning to fall apart under a great shortcoming of military supplies, due to the Popular Resistance cutting off all supply routes.

Over the past months militias forced a blockade on Taiz and suspended all access of humanitarian relief. Civilians in Taiz have been deprived of both sustenance and medical care. Houthi belting of Taiz and persistence on holding it hostage seems to have washed down a bit. With all the military support deprivation militants are subjected to along with orders on leaving for Sana’a, is leading them to abandon Taiz.

Brig. Gen. Abdullah al-Subaihi, commander of the 15 Mika brigade and the north-eastern district of Aden, told Asharq Al-Awsat that pro-legitimacy Yemeni forces are logging broad progress across all battle fronts. They freed several regions previously dominated by militants. Houthi militia and the Republican Guard are directing vehicles towards north of Taiz, al-Subaihi added.

Yemen’s national army possesses a variety of choices to pick from. The retreating vehicles, in coordination with the Arab coalition air force, could be thumped. Should the vehicles be destroyed, militants in Sana’a will be left with no military support. A move can also be made to free Sana’a whilst militias are moving away from the southern fronts of the city, Brig. Al-Subaihi added.

Abdullah Ghallab, chairman to the military media council in Taiz, reported to Asharq Al-Awsat that recent information confirms withdrawal of militia units from different locations which entrapped Taiz before. The retreat is a reaction to the blockade imposed by the national army on Sana’a, Ghallab added.

Primary data suggests that militia leaderships are moving towards Sana’a accompanied with troops known by “Ansar Allah” (Supporters of God). However, many members deserted militia ranks, given they had joined for money and fought with light weapons. Those who left the militant ranks requested to join the Popular Resistance forces as a compensation for their deeds especially that most of them were civilians with limited income.

Strikes launched on Houthi headquarters in Nihm district, located in Sana’a governorate, are being intensified, military and Popular Resistance sources reported. A notable advancement of army units is being recorded after employing high-caliber weaponry. Houthi militants and Saleh armed supporters are relinquishing positions on a daily basis in battlefronts near Sana’a.

Rapid response operations executed by the Popular Resistance forces are confusing militant groups and rendering them out of action to avert the attacks. Over the past few days, more than 20 rapid response operations pounded militia grouping centers and militant-established checkpoints across several districts.

Popular Resistance forces are now using similar tactics in other quarters. Some resistance units had carried out a rapid response attack in the Shabwah Governorate after already attacking in two separate raids on militia sites in Beihan, a town in western Yemen.

Using an anti-tank missile, Popular Resistance forces also launched an attack across Tihamah at Hajjah governorate, which resulted in great losses among militias.