On August 19, the Houthis repelled a new attack by the Saudi-led coalition and its Yemeni proxies on the district center of al-Durayhimi located near the western coast of Yemen after 48 hours of heavy clashes, according to the Yemeni al-Masirah TV.
A source in the Defense Ministry of Yemen [loyal to the Houthis] told the Yemeni 26 September News blog that Houthi fighters killed 140 Saudi-backed Yemeni fighters and injured 236 others during the clashes around al-Durayhimi. The Houthis also destroyed more than 15 vehicles of the Saudi-led coalition, including several US-made Oshkosh Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicles.
“The forces of invasion and the mercenaries tried to launch an offensive and intensive attacks supported by continuous air cover on the district of al-Durayhimi from three axes, north east, west and north, and they all failed and enemy forces suffered unexpected losses in lives and equipment,” 26 September News quoted the source as saying.
Furthermore, the source claimed that warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition deliberately conducted airstrikes on 40 Saudi-backed Yemeni fighters who attempted to withdraw from the battlefield killing them all.
Earlier this week, the Houthis repelled a similar attack of the Saudi-led coalition on al-Durayhimi after killing 180 Saudi-backed Yemeni fighters and destroying 20 vehicles of the coalition.
Despite of these large loses, the Saudi-led coalition will likely launch another attack on al-Durayhimi in the upcoming days. According to observers, the coalition is desperate to reach the outskirt of the coastal city of al-Hudaydah, which is located 16km north of al-Durayhimi.
