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Iran-Allied Militias in Yemen Seek Preemptive Change in National Security Posts | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Shi’ite Houthi militants patrol the vicinity of a venue where a mass funeral for victims of a suicide attack on followers of the Shi’ite Houthi group was being held in Sanaa October 14, 2014. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah


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.