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Huthi Losses Multiply – Saudi Military Source | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Jizan, Asharq Al-Awsat- A Saudi military source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Huthi infiltrators are following a specific approach in their continuing attacks on the Saudi forces that have been deployed in the border region. The source revealed that the Huthi rebels lay low for the majority of the day before launching surprise attacks on [Saudi] military sites at night.

The Saudi military source said that this tactic had caused the Saudi forces in the area to be more cautious and vigilant against surprise attacks, whether these are organized attacks or attacks of opportunity.

The military source also revealed that there has been a noticeable decline in clashes with Huthi rebels, whether this is the Huthi bombardment of Saudi positions, or Huthi rebels attacking Saudi patrols with heavy-caliber machine guns. Saudi forces in the region are continuing to bombard Huthi targets and sites in the region.

The military source told Asharq Al-Awsat “The Saudi forces are using F-15 fighter jets, Apache Helicopters, and heavy artillery, to bombard locations belonging to infiltrators belonging to the rebel Huthi movement.”

He added “A number of infiltrators yesterday and the day before yesterday attacked [Saudi] military sites, but the Saudi forces repelled these attacks.”

The source also revealed that a number of Huthi infiltrators have been captured by Saudi forces, and that the number of Huthi rebels killed by Saudi air strikes has multiplied.

Saudi Deputy Education Minister, Faisal Bin Muammar, visited the relief camp in al-Ahad al-Masaraha on Monday. The relief camp houses all citizens who have been displaced or forcibly evacuated due to the Saudi – Huthi conflict in the border region. Deputy Minister Faisal Bin Muammar visited the camp to ensure that all initiatives are being taken [to aid] those displaced by the fighting. The Deputy Minister for Education met a number of students and teachers who were evacuated from their schools; he checked on their condition and assured them that they would be provided with everything that they needed.

Saudi Minister of Education, Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah directed the Administrative Committee to take all initiative to aid the students and teachers [affected by this conflict]. An initiative to equip 30 mobile classrooms and send them to the region to be used as an alternative to the vacated schools was adopted by the Ministry of Education.

The initiative includes providing transport to transfer students from the relief camp to the classrooms, with this operation being funded by the Ministry of Education and costing 3 million Riyals.

At the relief camp, Hamzah Omar Sana’a, Director of Water Resources in Jizan Province, confirmed that Saudi Arabia would overcome all odds to provide the best services to the citizens in the Ahad al-Masaraha relief camp. This includes maintaining the water system, and providing water to the region. He also said that the [Saudi] Ministry of Water and Electricity would be supplying 15,000 bottles of water (750ml) to the camps every day, in addition to thirty 12-ton water tanks in order to ensure that all [water] requirements are met.

In a related note, Saudi clerics accused Yemeni Huthi rebels of working with Iran to try to spread Shiism in Sunni Islam’s heartland, days before the start of the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage.

“Iranian cooperation with Huthi rebels in Yemen is a collusion for sin and aggression, ” Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh said in remarks published yesterday.

“Huthi infiltrators entered our territories, so … it is obvious that they should be fought since the kingdom here is defending itself,” Sheikh said.

In a statement issued over the weekend, about 40 Saudi clerics said Iran “destabilizes Muslim nations by implanting, financing and arming its agents to spread” Shiism, a direct reference to Huthi rebels.