UAE replaces troops in Yemen as crucial Taiz battle looms

The UAE has replaced its troops in Yemen as the Arab coalition forces and their national allies brace for the final battle to seize Taiz.

The decision is part of redeployment of troops in the conflict-battered Arab country, where the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other coalition members are fighting to end an Iranian-backed coup and restore legitimacy to Yemen.

The Armed Forces General Command said a first batch of UAE soldiers serving in Yemen would return home shortly as it will be replaced by troops being sent there.

“The batch which will return home will be replaced by a second batch which will perform its mission in Yemen,” it said in a statement.

It said the replacement came after the first batch achieved major victories in Yemen and in liberating Marib Dam, which was reconstructed by late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as part of the UAE’s continuous support for the Yemeni people.

“The UAE is playing a brave and strong role in Yemen by being part of the coalition and helping the people of Yemen by giving aid, and rehabilitating schools, hospitals and water and power networks.

"It is also providing humanitarian support for the people in face of Cyclone Chapala,” Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi said during a meeting in Riyadh on Monday with UAE special envoy to Yemen Mubarak Al Jabri.

“The people of Yemen will also never forget the heroic stance taken by the Arab coalition, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the other members and for the great sacrifices they are offering our country to help restore legitimacy to all Yemeni areas.”

Hadi, who is temporarily residing in Riyadh, said the UAE’s support for Yemen “again reflects the strong brotherly relationship” between the two countries.

The UAE decision to replace troops came as the Saudi-led coalition forces, the legitimate Yemeni army and the national resistance completed preparations to launch a final offensive to liberate Taiz and expel the Houthis and their allies.

As the allies continued to send reinforcements to Taiz, the coup insurgents were reported on Monday to have planted mines after quitting some of their positions.

One of the mines exploded in a bus in Taiz on Monday, killing most of its passengers, according to Yemen’s news network Marib Press.

“Resistance sources affirmed that the Houthis and their allies withdrew from areas in Eastern Taiz and planted mines in several positions,” Marib Press said.

It said the coup militias pulled out of those areas as the Saudi-led Arab coalition troops and national Yemeni army and resistance began their advance to liberate the Southeastern province that has been under random Houthi shelling for weeks.

Marib Press said one mine exploded in a bus, killing most of its passengers, adding that Houthi snipers were firing at cars to prevent them from reaching the casualties.

It said the Houthis also used rockets and artillery to shell some areas in Taiz, including Zayed Park. In Western Taiz, coalition jets continued their raids against the insurgents to pave the way for a ground offensive to seize the entire governorate, it added.

The UAE Arabic language daily 'Emarat Al Youm' said Saudi Arabia and other coalition members have sent tanks and armoured vehicles into Taiz to support the legitimate army, adding that preparations by the allies are under way to launch a major offensive to break the siege on Taaz and eject all coup militias from the province.

“Observers said that the Taiz final battle is very close as more reinforcements by the coalition push into the city,’ the paper said.

It quoted a well-known Yemeni political analyst Mohammed Jameeh as saying conditions are now much better for the allies to launch a final offensive.

“The deployment of tanks in Taiz is a major move by the coalition as it will largely turn the balance of forces in favour of the army and the resistance.

"The Houthis appear to have realized this, so they started to mine the streets in just a new war crime that is added to their filled war crime record,” he said.

“I believe that in the case of Sanaa, there may be negotiation to let the Houthis out of the city, but in Taiz case, it has become clear that it will be taken militarily.”

Another analyst, Towfiq Al Samei, expected a “bone-crushing” battle in Taiz following the deployment of new weapons and large forces by the coalition.

“I believe that the deployment of these weapons will allow the resistance to achieve a crucial victory against the Houthis and their allies, who appeared hysterical and started to pull their forces from some areas to reinforce other positions,” he said.

In a related development, the Houthis and their allies shelled civilian areas in several villages in the Southern Yemeni governorate of Ibb to retaliate for losses they suffered in fighting with the national resistance, a Yemeni news network reported.

Shelling began a few days ago and intensified on Monday after the coup insurgents failed to advance towards areas controlled by the national resistance in Ibb.

Masdar Online said Monday’s shelling targeted villages in Hazm Al Adeen area in Ibb but that it was not immediately known if there were casualties among residents.

It said the Houthi militias and their allies were using heavy artillery in shelling those areas from their positions on hilltops near Al Hazm area.

“The shelling came after the Houthis and their allies failed to advance on those villages as they faced fierce resistance.

"Many of them were killed or wounded in the fighting.”

The network quoted a military source as saying national resistance fighters attacked Houthi positions in Aden Bani Shaib area and that fighting was raging till late night.

Meanwhile, another Yemeni news network said national resistance fighters killed a total 98 rebels from the Houthis and their allies in Ibb October.

According to military sources, 98 rebels were killed and scores were injured in attacks carried out by the resistance against the Houthis and their allies,” Marib Press said.

Ibb is just east of the besieged Taiz with an area of around 6,500 sq km and population of more than 2.5 million.

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