Lahij insurgency

Lahij insurgency
Part of the Yemeni civil war (2015–present)

Lahij Governorate
Date27 March – 4 August 2015 (4 months, 1 week and 1 day)
LocationLahij Governorate, Yemen
Result Hadi/Coalition victory
Belligerents

Yemen Houthi government[1]

Yemen Hadi government

Casualties and losses
119-124 242-259 killed

The Lahij insurgency was a guerrilla war waged by tribesmen loyal to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi against the Houthis and Yemen Army units loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, who controlled most of the Lahij Governorate of Yemen. In late July, Pro-Hadi forces had launched an offensive to recapture Al Anad Air Base and rest of Lahij Governorate. On 4 August, Pro-Hadi forces had retaken full control of the Lahij Governorate.

Background

On 24 March, heavy fighting erupted in the Lahij Governorate as Houthi forces advanced.[6]

On the morning of 25 March, the Houthis seized Al Anad Air Base, which had recently been abandoned by United States of America US SOCOM troops.[7][8] Soon after the Houthis also captured Al Houta, where they took the Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi, one of Hadi's top lieutenants, as a prisoner and transferred him to Sana'a. In addition, the Houthi-allied 33rd Armored Brigade captured the towns of Al-Habilain and Al-Malah. With this, the Houthis had gained control of the Lahij Province.[9][10]

The insurgency

On 27 March, 15–20 Houthi fighters were killed in an ambush in the Wahat region.[11][12] Two days later, a landmine explosion killed another 25 Houthi fighters, while they were heading to Aden to reinforce their troops fighting for the city.[13]

On 6 April, Saudi-led coalition air-strikes hit the Al Anad Air Base and a military camp killing 10 fighters,[14] while on 8 April, eight Houthis were killed in an ambush by tribal fighters in the Karsh region.[15]

On 11 April, 18 Houthi fighters were killed in an ambush while heading to Aden.[16] Two days later, a suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) bombing left 15 pro-Houthi soldiers dead in Al Houta.[17]

On 13 April, anti-Houthi fighters claimed to have killed 15 in an attack on a Houthi tank using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in Al Houta.[18]

On 1 July, a Coalition air-strike reportedly killed 13 Houthi fighters.[19]

On 3 August, Pro-Hadi Forces recaptured Al Anad Air Base from Houthi rebels after besieging the base for two weeks.[20]

On 4 August, Pro-Hadi Forces recaptured the entire Lahij Province from Houthi and Pro-Saleh forces.[21]

Aftermath

On October 2016, local media reports said that at least 40 Houthi fighters were killed or injured during clashes with the government forces in hilly regions bordering Taiz in Lahij. Five loyalists were killed while fighting the assault.[22]

References

  1. ↑ Orkaby, Asher (25 March 2015). "Houthi Who?". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Saudi Arabia Begins Air Assault in Yemen". The New York Times. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Felicia Schwartz, Hakim Almasmari and Asa Fitch (26 March 2015). "Saudi Arabia Launches Military Operations in Yemen". WSJ.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan ready for ground offensive in Yemen: report". the globe and mail. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Saudi Arabia launches airstrikes in Yemen". CNN. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "Les forces hostiles au président resserrent l'étau sur Aden" (in French). Romandie. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Yémen : les forces hostiles au président s'emparent d'une base proche d'Aden (militaire)" (in French). L'Orient Le Jour. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Yemen Air Base Formerly Used by U.S. Forces Is Seized by Houthi Rebels". NYtimes. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "AL-SUBAIHI CAPTURED AND LAHJ FALLS AS HOUTHIS MOVE ON ADEN". Yemen Times. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Yemen's President Hadi Flees Houthi Rebel Advance on Aden: AP". nbcnews. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Sources: 15 Houthi rebels killed in ambush in southern Yemen". Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  12. ↑ Anadolu Ajansı (c) 2011. "20 Houthis killed in ambush in Yemen's Lahij". Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Houthi Offensive Continues in Yemen - Durdurnews". Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "Yemen clashes kill more than 100 as aid delayed". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  15. ↑ "8 Houthis killed in ambush in Yemen's Lahij - Middle East - Worldbulletin News". World Bulletin. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  16. ↑ More aid reaches Yemen capital as clashes rage in south
  17. ↑ Army troops hit by bomb in southern Yemen, 15 killed
  18. ↑ "Iran puts forward Yemen peace plan as Houthis suffer battlefield setbacks". Reuters. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  19. ↑ Yemeni rebels kill 31 as UN declares highest-level emergency
  20. ↑ "Yemeni military base captured from Houthis". Al Arabiya. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  21. ↑ Yemen's Lahij captured by pro-Hadi forces: Sources
  22. ↑ "Civilians killed as Al Houthis shell Taiz".
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