'Our main battle is Sanaa'

The final coalition of offensive to eject the Iranian-backed coup insurgents out of Taiz is close and it will not be affected by any political moves, the military commander in the besieged Southeastern Yemeni town said in press comments on Sunday.

Brigadier Adnan Al Hammadi, chief of the Brigade 35 in the national Yemeni army and popular resistance, said the national allies had received enough armoured vehicles and other military equipment from the Saudi-led coalition to launch the liberation battle.

“I know that there have been much promises about the liberation of Taiz, but what I can say now is that the battle of liberation s close,” he told the Saudi daily ‘Al Madina’.

“The army and the resistance in Taiz do not believe in any political settlement with the Houthis and their allies because they are crooked and they just want time to change some positions and make advancements on the front in order to cause a media storm.

“I believe that they want to make some gains in any future settlement and to send a message to their regional allies to provide them with more support.”

Hammadi said the army had promised the people in Taiz that it would be liberated and that preparations for the final assault took time because of weapons shortages.

“The enemy is well equipped. They have been building their military capabilities over the past three decades,” he said, referring to forces loyal to deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, many of whom were part of the regular army.

“The enemy has been massing its elite forces in the Taiz front. You know why, because they want the main battle to be in Taiz, but we tell them that Taiz will be liberated soon and the main battle will be in Saana, the birthplace of the Houthi leader, and Sanaa, the birthplace of Saleh.”
 

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