The Yemeni armed forces said Thursday that they would use “all weapons” to target any military movements by the Houthi group in areas around the city of Mocha, as government forces redeployed and reinforced their presence along the western coast amid developments on several battlefronts.
In a statement, the armed forces urged civilians to avoid using the Taiz-Mocha road until further notice and to stay away from gatherings of Houthi personnel and their vehicles in the area.
Tareq Saleh orders reorganization of coastal forces
The announcement came after Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Deputy Chairman Lieutenant General Tareq Saleh directed forces operating along the western coast to reorganize their ranks in response to recent developments on the battlefronts with the Houthis. Saleh said the directives included establishing an alternative command center at a site he described as secure to regroup the forces and organize their operations.
Sources said government forces had begun redeploying along the western coast, while reinforcements were being sent from the city of Mocha toward the Dhubab area in Taiz province.
Houthi reinforcements heading to Marib shelled
On another front, government forces shelled Houthi military reinforcements that they said were moving from Sanaa province through Fardhat Nahm and the Al-Jawf junction toward the battlefronts north of Marib province.
A military source said warplanes and artillery targeted the reinforcements in the Madghal area, claiming that the shelling destroyed several combat vehicles and killed and wounded members of the group. The material did not include a specific casualty toll or comment from the Houthis on the developments.
