The Yemeni joint forces on the west coast called on the Arab coalition and the international community, led by the United Nations, to stop the terrorism of Iranian-backed Houthi coup militia against international navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, while the Hudaydah fronts witnessed a significant escalation by militia elements. A number of Houthi militia leaders were killed in Ibb, Dhamar and Hodeidah.
In detail, the Yemeni joint forces on the west coast called on the Arab coalition and the international community, led by the United Nations, to stop the terrorism of Iranian-backed Houthi coup militias against international shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, which are threatening the navigation routes in these strategic waterways through Piracy and hijacking.
The Spokesman for the Joint Forces in the west coast of Yemen, Colonel Waddah Al-Dabeish, told Emirates Today that the piracy and kidnapping carried out by Houthi militias, backed by Iranian elements in the Red Sea during the past two days, makes the international community, especially the nations. The United Nations has a major responsibility to protect international navigation in Yemen's territorial waters along the west coast.
He pointed out that the piracy and kidnappings practiced by the militias in the Red Sea, which resulted in the kidnapping of three ships by force, is a challenge to the international protection forces of waterways in the region, against Iranian practices that threaten the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which transferred its threat through its agents to the most important international corridor «Bab al-Mandab» in Yemen, pointing out the need for the return of liberation operations to areas from which the elements of militia to exercise its threat against international navigation in the Red Sea from the coasts of Hodeidah province, where there is a UN committee to monitor the implementation of the Swedish agreement, which provides for the protection of international navigation In the Red Sea.
Al-Dabish said that the recent Houthi operations at sea are considered a threat to end the Swedish agreement and other agreements sponsored by the United Nations in Hodeidah, and the international community and the Arab coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen to military action and allow the joint forces to continue the liberation of the rest of the west coast and the city of Hodeidah, to secure international navigation In the Red Sea, prevention of piracy and kidnappings by militias in Yemeni water bodies.
The Iranian militias have turned the Yemeni island of Kamran into a headquarters for the practice of terrorist acts and piracy against ships passing in the Red Sea, and last Monday, she took three ships from the Red Sea to the island, and looted the contents and seized their crews, 28 navigators, most of them have Korean nationality Southern.
The Houthi militias have acknowledged that their members hijacked ships in the Red Sea, on Monday, indicating by the spokesman of the military, that this is a military action of its members, similar to what the elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz against international ships passing by.
Earlier, the Yemeni legitimate government condemned the detention of the Korean ship, and considered it "a dangerous escalation that poses a major threat to international freedom of navigation south of the Red Sea."
For his part, Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani described the kidnapping of the Houthi coup militia as a "terrorist operation" and considered it a "dangerous and unprecedented escalation that threatens to undermine all efforts made by brothers and friends to calm down and bring peace to Yemen."
Al-Iryani said in Twitter tweets yesterday that the timing of this dangerous escalation and its synchronization with the protests in the majority of Iranian provinces confirms that it was instructed and planned by Iran through their Houthi tool.
He said that this comes to "divert attention from this popular uprising, and try to shuffle the cards, and escalate the conflict in the region and put pressure on the international community."
The Yemeni Minister of Information said that this terrorist operation reveals the threat posed by the continued control of Houthi militias on the port of Hodeidah and its control in the coastal strip between the city and the Directorate of Abs, on the security and freedom of international navigation and the global trade in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al-Mandab.
He called on the international community to take decisive stances regarding this maritime piracy, which constitutes a precedent and a serious violation of international law, and to take measures to support the legitimate government, to stop the threat posed by the Houthi terrorist militias on international shipping lines and regional and international peace and security.
South Korea announced yesterday that the Houthi coup militia seized three ships, including two Korean and Korean nationals, near the island of Kamran in western Yemen. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that 16 people were aboard these ships, and two of them are Korean. The three vessels are currently anchored at Al-Salif Port in Hodeidah Governorate in Yemen.
According to the statement, the three ships were detained on their way to the port of Berbera in Somalia, coming from the port of Jizan in Saudi Arabia, and the two Korean companies have received piracy information from one of the detained Koreans, via social media.
South Korea has sent the destroyer Kang-Kam-chan, a navy involved in the anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia, to the site of its two ships seized by Houthi militias in the port of Salif and is expected to arrive on Thursday, Yonhap news agency reported.
On the ground, the joint forces in Hodeidah responded to attacks and infiltration attempts by Houthi militia members in several areas yesterday, and managed to thwart a Houthi infiltration attempt on the southern outskirts of Al-Tahita district, under heavy gunfire, using heavy machine guns and heavy artillery, and a similar attack on the northern district.
The militias stepped up their military operations towards al-Jah area in Beit al-Faqih district, south of Hodeidah, and shelled it with artillery shells, heavy and medium weapons and snipers.
In addition, military sources in the joint forces warned against the continued dispatch of militia reinforcements to the city of Hodeidah, which was detected the latest movement in Jizan Street in the north of the city of Hodeidah, last night, including military vehicles loaded with militants, noting that these operations threaten the agreement Peace in the city, and undermine the efforts of the United Nations in this context.
The militias are transporting materiel, weapons and other unidentified cargo to several locations and headquarters within Hodeidah city, coinciding with field movements, moving groups, and increasing the frequency of attacks and military escalation throughout the directorates of the southern province of Hodeidah.
On the other hand, medical sources in Hodeidah confirmed the death of the commander of the square of the city of Saleh in Hodeidah, a militia named Abu Mohammed al-Shatbi, a descendant of the province of Rima, from his wounds, in a hospital in the city, pointing out that Shatbi was injured a few days ago in a failed attack on its members towards Al-Faza in Al-Tahita District.
In Taiz, the Yemeni army foiled an attempted infiltration by Houthi forces towards their positions in al-Quhaifa area in Mqabna district, west of the city.
In Saada, Yemeni and Saudi army artillery continued to bomb Houthi positions in the Razih and Moneeb districts, causing heavy casualties among the Houthis.
In Ibb, Houthi leader Zeid Sufyan was killed in clashes between its armed elements and tribesmen in the orphanage area of Isla Einan, Sabra district, southeast of Ibb, causing deaths and injuries amid militias feeding tribal conflicts.
In Dhamar, a Houthi gunman killed his cousin and wounded his uncle in a village in the Maghreb district of Ansar after refusing to hand over a quantity of khat to support the so-called "war effort" of the Houthis.
In Amran, north of Sanaa, clashes erupted between the tribes of Harf Sufyan and elements of the Houthi, after the latter imposed a tribal reconciliation by force, provided by Houthi mediation not signed by all the tribes «Dh Mohammed» in Harf Sufian.
Piracy and kidnapping by Houthi elements in the Red Sea is supported by Iranian elements.
The JMP called for the necessity of the return of liberation operations to the areas from which the militias started to threaten international navigation.