Yemen's Sanaa government forces report advances in Lahj province

The military of Yemen's Sanaa government, led by the Ansar Allah movement, released images on Tuesday showing the expulsion of Saudi-backed elements from the Al-Mudhareba and Al-A'ra areas of Lahj province, according to a report by Mehr News. The forces were described as operating under the command of Saudi officer Badr Al-Harbi.

A high-ranking Yemeni military source told Al-Mayadeen that tens of thousands of Saudi-backed forces were expelled from large parts of Al-Mudhareba and Ras Al-A'ra. The source said that after weeks of fighting, the Saudi-backed forces fled toward Aden. The recent clashes also led to the capture of hundreds of Saudi-backed fighters, including their commanders, the source added.

According to the source, the Yemeni army has liberated more than 3,000 square kilometers, consisting mainly of mountain ranges, strategic geographical bottlenecks, a strategic coastal strip and an airport. The source said the operation to liberate large parts of the Ras al-A'ra and al-Mudharabi areas in Lahj province was aimed at securing the Bab al-Mandab strait and at protecting the Taiz areas.

The source stated that the Yemeni forces fought a battle lasting several weeks with the participation of missile units, drones and air defense. The source also said that thousands of Saudi airstrikes could not protect their allied forces against the Ansar Allah forces. The source added that the reported strategic victory would increase the security of shipping in Bab al-Mandab and make navigation more stable.

The report by Mehr News carried the account as presented by the Yemeni military source and did not include a response from Saudi officials or from the forces described as Saudi-backed.