The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a large-scale military operation against Saudi military reinforcements, reporting hundreds of casualties and significant material damage, the YAF spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced.
The Yemeni military spokesperson said the operation was a response to continued Saudi actions, stating that “in light of the criminal Saudi enemy’s persistence in continuing the siege and aggression against our dear Yemeni people for nearly 12 years, our Armed Forces monitored large Saudi military concentrations that were in their final stages, aimed at escalating against the free provinces and the Yemeni people to deter them from their position on ending the unjust siege.”
According to Saree, the operation targeted Saudi troop concentrations in the areas of al-Ruwayk, al-Abr, and al-Thaniya, as well as other camps belonging to the so-called First and Third Emergency Brigades, with a large number of ballistic missiles and drones.
Hundreds killed; camps, storages, weapons destroyed
The operation, according to the YAF, resulted in:
- the killing and wounding of hundreds of “Saudi enemy mercenaries”
- the destruction and burning of a large number of Saudi enemy camps, concentrations, weapons depots, and military equipment in the al-Wadi’ah area, east of the country
- the destruction of a large number of military vehicles stationed at the targeted bases
The statement included a direct warning addressed to Saudi Arabia, saying, “The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the criminal Saudi enemy against any folly it commits against our country and people, and it will bear the consequences of any escalation.”
Saree also addressed Yemeni nationals serving within Saudi forces, advising them to “leave the camps of the Saudi enemy and return to their areas before it is too late.”
Concluding the statement, he said that the Armed Forces “are on full alert to confront any escalation,” urging the Yemenis to remain vigilant and continue targeting “Saudi military concentrations wherever they are, under the equation of ‘blockade for blockade’ until the blockade on our country is ended.”
This comes as Yemen continues to confront the Saudi aggression on Sanaa, enforcing a blockade on Saudi oil vessels and conducting operations targeting Saudi assets.
YAF continues to enforce blockade on Saudi vessels
Earlier today, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced that they targeted a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, marking the latest in a series of maritime operations against Saudi shipping.
The Armed Forces said they successfully targeted the DAISY oil tanker using a ballistic missile and confirmed that the vessel was struck and forced to retreat.
According to a statement by the Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the operation was part of Sanaa’s maritime navigation ban on Saudi vessels under the “blockade for blockade” equation.
Nine vessels targeted since blockade went into effect
Saree added that the Yemeni Armed Forces are closely monitoring the movements of Saudi oil tankers and will prevent any tanker from passing through the southern and northern Red Sea “until the legitimate and rightful demands of the Yemeni people are met and the blockade is lifted.”
With the latest operation, the total number of Saudi oil vessels targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces has risen to nine since the naval blockade went into effect on July 22, according to Saree.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported earlier on Thursday that it had received a report of an incident involving a tanker 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden. “UKMTO has received a report of an incident 95NM southeast of Aden, Yemen. The Master of a tanker reported hearing a loud explosion in close proximity to the vessel,” the agency said, adding that all crew were accounted for and safe, with no environmental impact reported.