Funeral of Officers and Soldiers Held in Sanaa Amid Preparation for Fresh Military Battles

The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group held a funeral yesterday for three officers and two soldiers in Sanaa, an event that revealed the renewal of hostilities on the frontlines in Yemen.

The Houthi-run Saba News Agency said five officers and soldiers were killed on the frontlines. It did not disclose in which Yemeni province they were murdered.

 The agency provided the names of those killed, and they are Major Noman Ahmed Al-Salhi, Captain Mustafa Hussein Al-Qashour, Second Lieutenant Ali Ahmed Shater, Assistant Abdul Majeed Hadi Saana, and Assistant Hali Muhammad Al-Marouhi.

Over the past few months, the Houthi group has mobilized thousands of fighters, deploying many of them to several frontlines in different provinces, including Al-Hudaydah, Al-Baydha, Taiz and Marib.

The deployment of forces came on the heels of the rising tensions in the Red Sea and the decline of Yemen’s peace efforts.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government has stepped up its military efforts in preparation for a potential round of war with the Houthi group.

Pro-government forces were deployed early this week in Lahj province to the south of Yemen, where the Houthis seek to gain ground. Military sources said that forces affiliated with the the Nation’s Shield Forces took over positions in Aerim and Haifan fronts of Tur Al-Baha District in Lahj. In early April, a Houthi attack on pro-government forces in Lahj killed 11 southern fighters in Lahj.

Moreover, security information indicates that the Houthi group is arranging to launch an attack on Marib City through its western, northern and southern Marib fronts. According to security sources, the group has finished preparing a field plan to control southern Marib and oil areas in Marib and Shabwah.

The plan obtained by the security services in Marib includes a multifaceted attack preceded by the mobilization of the Houthi forces around Marib, the installation of defensive systems on all fronts, and assigning cells to penetrate Marib and carry out multiple tasks, including assassinating leaders, placing bombs, and monitoring the command and control centers of the Yemeni army, security headquarters, and military installations.

However, the arrival of the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council to Marib was a “strong military message” to the Houthis, according to political observers. Such a move indicated the preparedness of Yemen’s government to begin a new battle with the Houthi group.

Al-Alimi said, “We assure you that we will start from here [Marib] and from other government-controlled provinces to liberate the areas that are still under the [Houthi] control.”

The Houthis continue to belittle the military capabilities of the Yemeni government, saying they still have a massive stockpile of weapons and thousands of fighters.