Houthis Fly Warplanes in Maneuvers on Saudi-Yemen Border

The Houthis have concluded a one-week maneuver in Al-Jawf province on the Yemeni-Saudi border, displaying several kinds of weapons, including warplanes.

This is the second maneuver on the Saudi border in less than a month. Two weeks ago, the military police organized a maneuver in Saada in which all weapons were used, including drones and missiles.

The recent maneuver took place in the Al-Khab region in Al-Jawf, and Su-22 and MiG-29 aircraft flew over vast areas of Al-Jawf, adjacent to Marib, an important stronghold for the Yemeni government and near the Saudi border.

This move is a dangerous indicator of the possibility of the collapse of the truce and the return to war. The recent maneuvers on the border are reminiscent of the maneuver with which the Houthis organized the war after they overthrew the capital, Sana’a, and took control of the Yemeni state in September 2014.

In parallel with the maneuvers, the Houthis continue mobilizing forces on the Al-Jadafar and Al-Alamein fronts on the Marib border. The Houthis have been seeking for years to control the Yemeni oil and gas fields in Marib, and it does not seem ready to abandon this ambition.

In Sanaa, 15000 popular fighters have joined the Houthi combat courses as part of the Houthi preparation for war with Israel. The popular fighters appeared in a parade on Saturday in Al-Sabeen Square in Sanaa.