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On March 16, fighters loyal to Saudi-backed Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi foiled an amphibious attack by the Houthis on the coastal town of al-Qataba located north of the city of al-Khawhah in the western coast of Yemen, the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV reported. The TV channel said that pro-Hadi fighters had been able to eliminate a Houthi unit, which had conducted the attack.
This was the second amphibious attack by the Houthis on Saudi-led coalition positions in the western coast of Yemen within a week. Al-Arabiya said that pro-Hadi forces had repelled a similar attack on March 13 and had sanked three boats belonging to the Houthis.
In a related development, the Saudi-led coalition announced that its air defenses had intercepted a ballistic missile, which had been launched by the Houthis over the city of Mocha, 55km south of al-Khawhah. The missile attack was likely aimed at supporting the amphibious attack on al-Qataba.
So far, the Saudi-led coalition has been able to defend its positions along the western coast of Yemen, although that it has not been able to make any new gains over the last few months.
