Fierce battles rage on Yemen’s coast near strategic entrance to Red Sea strait
By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Fierce battles raged between pro-government fighters clashing with Shiite Houthi rebels and allied military units along Yemen's Red Sea coast Sunday, Yemeni security officials said. The officials, who
By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Fierce battles raged between pro-government fighters clashing with Shiite Houthi rebels and allied military units along Yemen’s Red Sea coast Sunday, Yemeni security officials said.
The officials, who remain neutral in the conflict that has splintered the country, said the fighting took place between Bab al-Mandab — the strategic entrance to the Red Sea — and the port city of Mokha. They said the Saudi-led coalition is attempting to clear a path for the pro-government fighters toward Mokha.
Medical officials in nearby Taiz said at least 14 dead bodies from Houthi forces arrived from the front lines. Houthi officials said the rebels have destroyed six opposing tanks and killed multiple pro-government fighters.
Four civilians were shot dead near the front lines, security officials said, adding that it was not clear which side was the source of the gunfire.
On Saturday, Yemen’s Prime Minister Khaled Bahah visited an area near Bab al-Mandab after pro-government fighters pushed rebel forces out of the immediate area.
Meanwhile Saleh al-Samad, the head of the Houthi political council, said his group would carry out a “strong escalation” in the coming days, in a statement published by Yemen’s Houthi-controlled state news agency.
The Houthis have controlled the area near the strait for several months. They have been in control of the capital Sanaa since last September and are at war with the internationally recognized government as well as southern separatists, local militias and Sunni extremists.
The United Arab Emirates military announced the death of another of its soldiers in Yemen, Khamis Rashid al-Abdouly. A statement said he died while being treated in Germany after succumbing to wounds sustained “at the battle for Marib.” It did not say when he was wounded.
The U.N. says at least 2,355 civilians have been killed in fighting in Yemen since March, when a Saudi-led coalition began launching airstrikes against the Houthis and their allied army units.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Associated Press writer Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.
Hagos October 5, 2015
The Arabs were accumulating all sorts of armaments and rockets against others, and they were exporting every bomb and land mine to poor Africans and Afghanis to kill each other. But finally the chickens came home to roost and they are finishing each other. Who will forget what the Iraqis, Yemenis, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrian … elite political leaders were planning for others.
With the Russians and the Chinese … itching to dump their fire power, being followed by others, we will not be surprised if other evil Wahbabists will start to cannibalize each other to oblivion.
I feel sorry for the innocent Yemeni, Syrian and Iraqi people but not for their evil elitist war mongering leaders who had been exporting fire and sordid evil into our region incessantly .
AHMED SALEH October 5, 2015
Corrupted politicians with their leader ex-president Abdella Saleh sinister motives conspired
with Houti rebels to regain power . The cause of the country’s civil war has long history beyond
excuses of Sunni and Shia differences . The funny part , Saudi Arabia used to bomb Houti rebels
at its border region to assit pres. A. Saleh and now him and his army allied with those rebels against
his people and his old friends .
I won’t be surprised if Southern Yemen ( Aden ) peopledemanded again for independence after this
destructive war . And they have legitimate reasonof mistrust after short lived reconciliation with
fresh wounds from their previous bloody war .
When peace and stability get violated the consequence it brings can be unpredictable . We as
Eritreans must learn from ours and others experience the importance of constitutional government
which abide rule of law .
Suleiman Salim October 6, 2015
“We as Eritreans must learn from ours and others experience the importance of constitutional government which abide rule of law.”
The lesson is this: we should keep our Eritrea as it is – an oasis of peace and stabilty .
AHMED SALEH !!!. October 6, 2015
Yemen was at pretense of oasis and
peace under Abella Saleh corrupted
government ,Ethiopia under Emperor H.Sellassie and Somalia under Bare.
Lessons to learn .