Houthi fighters dancing in front of the main security office in al-Zahir district center.
The Saudi-led ground offensive in the central Yemeni province of al-Bayda dose not appear to be going according to the plan.
On July 8, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced that they had recaptured the center of al-Zahir district. Saudi-backed forces entered the district center in the beginning of their offensive. The move was promoted by pro-Saudi media as a major military achievement.
“The army and the popular committees were able, thanks to God, to recapture the center of the al-Zahir district, in cooperation with the people of al-Bayda province,” a military source told the Yemeni al-Masirah TV.
The pro-Houthi channel aired footage from the center of al-Zahir district, confirming that Saudi-backed forces had retreated.
A day earlier, the Houthis and their local allies repelled two attacks by Saudi-backed forces in al-Zahir and the nearby district of al-Sawma’ah.
The Saudi-led offensive in al-Bayda was supposed to mount more pressure on the Houthis. Now, Saudi-backed forces are struggling to make any gains in the province. The Houthis sustained some serious losses as result of the Saudi-led coalition bombardment. However, they have been showing fierce resistance.
