Yemenis Have Foiled Saudi-Led Aggression on Hudaydah, Commander Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior commander of the Yemeni army said recent attacks launched by the Saudi-led coalition on Yemen’s western port city of Hudaydah have faced defeat thanks to the Yemeni forces’ preparedness.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Brigadier General Abed al-Thor said the Saudi-led coalition declared its aggression against Hudaydah on Wednesday and concurrently their warships and fighter jets advanced toward the city and attacked the Yemeni army’s positions five kilometers away from the coastal city of al-Fazeh.
However, the Yemeni navy’s full preparedness to hit the enemy’s maritime targets with advanced equipment and projectiles made the enemy completely lose control of the battle, he added.
“Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had been defeated in their past naval battles too,” the commander said, adding that the latest operation proved both the weakness of the enemy’s naval forces and the power of the Yemeni forces in countering aggressors no matter what equipment they have.
Brigadier General al-Thor went on to say that many organizations and countries have confirmed that the Saud-led aggression against Yemen’s west coast region, including Hudaydah, has failed.
Yemeni armed forces targeted a UAE warship off the country’s western coast on Wednesday shortly after Saudi-led troops began their operation to bring Hudaydah under their control.
Yemeni forces also dealt severe blows to the Saudi-led mercenaries around the Hudaydah port.
The General Command of the UAE's armed forces said four Emirati soldiers were killed during the assault on Hudaydah on Wednesday.
While the Yemeni army and popular committees are fighting off the assailants and countering attacks on residential areas, international humanitarian organizations have warned of dire consequences of any escalation of violence around Hudaydah.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande has announced that “as many as 250,000 people may lose everything -even their lives,” if there is a military attack on Hudaydah.
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in Yemen in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Over 14,000 Yemenis, including women and children, have died in the deadly military campaign.