Yemen's Warring Sides Augment Focus on Coastal Forces and Fronts

The Yemeni government has begun intensifying its focus on its Coast Guard units in the port of Midi in Hajjah province to the north of Yemen in line with rising tensions in the Red Sea and the continuing Hamas-Israel war.

On Friday, the Chief of the General Staff and Commander of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Saghir bin Aziz, visited the Yemeni government naval forces stationed in the Midi district of Hajjah, getting detailed reports on the field and operational situation and the level of efficiency and readiness of the Coast Guard forces.

Bin Aziz said that the Yemeni political and military leadership is cooperating and coordinating with brotherly and friendly countries to develop the capabilities of the naval and coastal forces, train them, and provide them with the necessary resources to carry out their national duties efficiently and competently.

On October 16, Brigadier General Tareq Saleh, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council and the commander of the National Resistance on the West Coast, met with the commander of the Fifth Military Region, Major General Yahya Salah. The forces of the Fifth Military Region are deployed in Al-Hudaydah and Hajjah provinces. Saleh also met with Major General Khaled Al-Qamali, Head of the Yemeni Coast Guard Service, to review the readiness of the coastal forces. The meeting discussed the Coast Guard's challenges and possible measures to improve its performance.

The two commanders emphasized the importance of coordinating and integrating the pro-government forces from Mocha to Midi, preventing the Houthi group from achieving any advance on the lines of contact.

Late last month, a Houthi naval force received marine training in Al-Luhaya district in Al-Hudaydah, and foreign experts delivered the training, informed sources told Sheba Intelligence. The sources said that the training focused on the mechanism of ship piracy, the use of sea mines, kidnappings, and weapons smuggling through the Red Sea.

Informed sources revealed that the group lately transported naval missiles from a workshop in the Bajil district of Al-Hudaydah and were deployed into the Red Sea.

With the breakout of the Israel-Hamas war and the deployment of the American warships into the region, the Houthi group has begun preparing to engage in the war. With its long-range missiles, the group can hit targets in Israel or attack American assets in the region.

On Thursday, the U.S. Defense Department said a U.S. warship intercepted several missiles and drones from Yemen. According to U.S. officials, the Houthi group fired those missiles and drones, and they seemed to head for Israel.

Informed sources told Sheba Intelligence that the Houthis fired missiles from the Al-Luhaya district of Hodeida and drones from Abs district in Hajjah.

Observers say that the Houthi missiles and drones that were intercepted can be used by the U.S. military as a justification for deepening its presence in the Red Sea, including in Yemeni islands and ports.

Moreover, economists warn that the conflict on Yemen's waterways may intensify because several countries need to secure international trade through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Disturbing the routes of the trade routes will have severe consequences for the economy, and Yemen will not be immune to such repercussions, according to economists.