File image.
On January 16, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition targeted a convoy of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in the Yemeni province of Shabwah.
According to the al-Arabiya TV, coalition warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on the convoy as it was passing near the town of al-Raqaba in the district of Ain. According to the news channel, the convoy’s vehicles were loaded with ammunition for Houthi forces in the district.
The Saudi-led coalition has not commented on al-Arabiya report, yet. However, it announced that its warplanes carried out 45 airstrikes on Ma’rib and 19 others on al-Bayda between January 15 and 16.
According to the coalition’s claims, the airstrikes killed 280 Houthi fighters and destroyed 30 military vehicles of the group.
A day earlier, the Saudi-led coalition stepped up support for its proxies on the ground by imposing a no-drive zone on a network of key roads in the provinces of Shabwah, Ma’rib and al-Bayda.
Despite the Houthis’ fierce resistance, the coalition’s proxies, led by the United Arab Emirates-backed Giants Brigade, were able to capture the towns of Banu Qais, Al Musa, Jerada, the Hajla, Ikrimah Al Buthaif, Al al-Atir and al-Helwah in the district of Harib in Ma’rib.
#Yemen:#Shabwah: After some geolocations were made with recent footage #YNA & Giant Brigades managed to make slow advances towards Harib (حريب) town while clashes with #Ansarallah continue as the second continue to hold the adjacent mountains.
Map: [ https://t.co/WoS6GReWZ3 ] pic.twitter.com/ivhmQnRmNI— @Suriyak (@Suriyakmaps) January 15, 2022
The coalition’s offensive in Ma’rib and Shabwah will not likely end anytime soon. Despite this, the Houthis appear to be determined to hold onto their positions in the two provinces.
