Aden- Coup militias in Yemen, composed of loyalists acting under the command of ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Iran-aligned Houthis, started implementing precautionary steps, notably overlapping and joining scattered units.
The buildup of combatants comes in preparation for an anticipated offensive in which pro-government forces seek to push into insurgency-held enclaves in Hodeida the capital of the Tihama region.
Hodeida’s anticipated offensive will be led by the Yemeni army, supported by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, and aims at restoring legitimacy.
Tihama refers to Red Sea coastal plain of Arabia from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Bab el Mandeb Strait.
The fight for securing the key area of Hodeida is decisive for the overall armed conflict in Yemen. The fall of Hodeida will consequentially lead to the fall of the capital Sana’a currently under coup control.
Recapturing Hodeida spells the end of funds and arms supply reaching putschists, especially putting an end to the extended transgressions of Houthi militants unwarrantedly collecting state revenues and levies imposed on citizens.
Iran-funded militants have resorted to change security managers in about 30 Hodeidah directorates, appointing people mostly belonging to areas outside Hodeidah, particularly residents of Sa’ada and Sana’a.
The formation of insurgency promoted committees dubbed ‘general recruitment’, consisting of branches of a number of ministries and institutions directors, led by coup loyalists, sources close to the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Pro-Houthi committees will be responsible for managing the city’s coastal resources and economies. The illegitimate entities seek to pose tariffs against commercial outlets, in addition to increasing direct and militarized recruitment of youths.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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