Yemeni government forces seize strategic Mount Numan in Lahij, heavy blow to the Houthis

Forces loyal to Yemen’s government have announced the capture of the strategic Mount Numan peak in the Lahij governorate, in a heavy blow to the Houthis. According to a statement by the forces, a swift military operation was launched overnight against Houthi positions on Mount Numan, a strategic height overlooking the Lahij governorate.

The operation began with a controlled infiltration maneuver that led to the encirclement of the area, enabling government forces to take control of the mountain peak, the statement says. Houthi-linked fighters were forced to retreat, leaving behind dead as well as weapons and equipment.

The statement adds that government forces destroyed field fortifications and cleared wide areas containing landmines and traps planted by the Houthis.

The capture of Mount Numan comes at a critical moment of the war in Yemen, as Saudi-backed government forces try to halt the advance of the Houthis, Iran’s allies, toward the strategic areas of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb. The Houthis’ advance in recent weeks had alarmed the coalition and pushed Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to call an urgent meeting of military chiefs of staff.

Source: Al Jazeera