Yemeni fighters loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni president stand by armoured vehicles at a position which was taken from Shiite-Huthi rebels northwest of the central city of Taiz, on April 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SALEH AL-OBEIDI
The Saudi-led coalition is preparing to launch a large-scale military operation in the northwestern Yemeni province of Hajjah in order to left the Houthis’ siege of its proxies in the area of Hujur, the al-Arabia TV reported on February 15.
According to the UAE-based channel, the operation is being prepared upon the request of Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, which suffered from heavy loses while repelling several attacks by the Houthis in the last few days.
“The tribes are fighting and resisting the Houthis fiercely … The coalition’s operation has not started yet and the area is besieged,” an official from Hujur told al-Arabiya.
The most recent Houthi attack on Hujur occurred few hours ago. In response to the attack, Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out 6 airstrikes on the Yemeni group troops. Sky News Arabia said that the airstrikes targeted gatherings, vehicles and mortar cannons.
Observers believe that the Saudi-led coalition is not only planning to lift the Houthis’ siege, but also to capture key positions in Hujur, which is located 150km north of the city of al-Hudaydah.
