Coalition and Yemeni forces launch offensive in Taez

Battle joined on four fronts in bid to clear gateway to retaking Yemeni capital Sanaa.

Yemeni tribal fighters take position on the first day of a new offensive against Houthi rebels in Yemen’s Taez province on November 16, 2015. Abdulnasser Alseddik / AP Photo

Aden // Troops loyal to the Yemeni government and Saudi-led coalition forces launched an offensive on Monday to retake the key battleground province of Taez from Houthi rebels.

Supported by resistance fighters, Emirati military vehicles and coalition air strikes, the forces attacked the Iran-backed rebels in both Taez city, and three other fronts across the province.

Taez is seen as a gateway to the capital, which has been held by the rebels since September last year. It is located at the crossroads between Sanaa, Yemen’s second city and main port of Aden, and Mocha on the Red Sea coast.

“The military operation to liberate Taez has begun after the arrival of military reinforcements from the Arab coalition, resistance forces and the national army in the south and west of Taez province,” said General Ahmed Al Yafie, commander of the fourth military region, which includes Taez as well as Aden.

Gen Al Yafei said the capture of Taez would be the first step towards the liberation of Sanaa.

Ahead of the offensive, military reinforcements from Aden arrived at Al Anad airbase in Lahj province, which would be used as a staging post. They included dozens of Emirati military vehicles manned by Yemeni fighters that were sent to the front lines in Taez, said Basem Al Zuraiqi, the spokesman of the Lahj provincial administration.

“The forces started to advance on three fronts towards Taez, which are Karesh front, Al Wazeyah front and Al Madharebah,” he said.

The Houthis were driven from Aden and Yemen’s southern provinces in July with the help of UAE troops. The coalition then focused on capturing Marib and the coastline along the Bab Al Mandeb Strait as resistance movements fought the Houthis across Taez province.

The offensive launched on Monday brings together resistance fighters from the south and soldiers backing the government to fight against the Houthis.

Mr Al Zuraiqi said forces advanced in many areas and the Houthis withdrew from large parts of Al Wazeyah. He said there were no clear figures on casualties.

The coalition forces had already airdropped weapons to the resistance of Taez in recent weeks and sent dozens of UAE-supplied armoured vehicles to the city.

Ahead of the offensive, the leadership of the popular resistance in Taez held a meeting in which they backed the military campaign. Afterwards, they launched attacks in the Houthis on different fronts.

“The fighters of the resistance were waiting for this day to start targeting the Houthis in different fronts at once, and today the resistance could advance in several areas,” said Aref Al Samei, a member of the popular resistance in Al Dhabab, just outside Taez city.

Coalition jets carried out more than 15 air strikes on Houthi targets in Taez city today including the airport of Taez, Taez university, the camp of the Special Security Forces, and a camp in Al Zunqul area, according to Mr Al Samei.

He warned that it would take some time to fully dislodge the rebels from the city because they had planted landmines across the areas they controlled.

Sudanese forces from Al Anad airbase in Lahj were also taking part in the Taez operations, military sources told AFP.

Some 5,000 people have been killed in the Yemen conflict since March, more than half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.

A new round of UN-brokered peace talks aimed at ending the conflict is expected to kick off in Geneva this month, but a date has yet to be set for the negotiations.

Last week, the Saudi foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir voiced support for the talks.

* Additional reporting from Agence France-Presse