Operation Victory from God
Operation Victory from God | |||||||
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Part of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen | |||||||
Map of the operation's last stage Houthi forces Saudi-led forces | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Mohammad Nasser al Atefi[2] (Supreme Political Council defense minister) |
Brig. Gen. Musa Bin Dhaher Al-Balawi[3] (joint operations commander) Radad al-Hashemi[4] (Al Fateh Brigade) | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Houthi fighters[2] Popular Committees[1] Drone, missile and air defence units[5][6] |
Saudi Arabian National Guard[2] Al Fateh Brigade[2] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Several infantry, armored, and missile battalions[2] (thousands of fighters) | at least 3 brigades | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
unknown |
According to the Houthis: 500 Saudi-led troops killed 2,000 captured 15 military vehicles destroyed Revolution (2011–12) | ||||||
Saudi-led intervention (2015–present) | |
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Saudi Arabian airstrikes on Yemen
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia Houthi attacks on the United Arab Emirates U.S. raids on al-Qaeda |
Attacks
Military operations Diplomacy Effects
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Humanitarian crisis | |
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From late August to late September 2019, a military operation was carried out by Yemeni forces loyal to the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council, under the code name "Victory from God".[2][3] It targeted Saudi Arabia and allied forces along the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border.[8]
At the operation's height in late September, the Houthi-led forces reportedly encircled and destroyed a substantial concentration of Saudi-led forces.
Background
Following the
In late 2019, Saudi-led forces under Brig. Gen. Musa Bin Dhaher Al-Balawi[3] launched a major offensive into Saada Governorate, pushing backed the area's Houthi-led defenders.[14] The pro-Saudi units included several Yemeni tribal militias,[3] most importantly the al-Fatah Brigade.[14] Facing relatively light resistance, the al-Fatah Brigade and some Saudi Arabian Army troops dispersed in northern Saada Governorate's canyons and mountains, most importantly Jabara Valley, leaving them vulnerable to counterattacks. Furthermore, the Saudi-led forces' supply situation remained problematic, as the Houthis held onto the strategically important location of Tanab.[14]
Operation
Operation Victory from God began on 25 August 2019, as Houthi fighters[2] and allied militias (Popular Committees)[1] allegedly began to attack Saudi-led troops at about 300 points[2] in the area between Najran and Jabara Valley.[3] In late August, about 4,000 Houthi-led troops encircled and besieged a significant part of the al-Fatah Brigade in Jabara Valley. The Royal Saudi Air Force provided inadequate support, and the morale of the encircled troops plummeted due to a lack of food and water. A few hundred managed to break through the Houthi siege, but the rest eventually surrendered. One al-Fatah Brigade militiaman later accused the unit's commander, Major General Radad al-Hashemi, of gross incompetence during the battle.[14] By 1 September, the remaining troops of the al-Fateh Brigade still clashed with advancing Houthi forces at Kitaf in Saada Governorate.[2]
On 28 September 2019, the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that during an operation launched 72 hours prior[15] near the border with the southwestern Saudi region of Najran, three "enemy military brigades had fallen" which was supported by the group's drone, missile and air defence units.[5][6] The latter allegedly launched extensive missile and drone strikes against military targets in Saudi Arabia.[16] According to the Houthis, "thousands" of Saudi troops, including many officers and soldiers of the Saudi army, as well as "hundreds of armoured vehicles" were captured.[5][6] The spokesman said that the Yemeni fighters are capable of further penetrating into Saudi territories "in case it continues its aggression against Yemen".[6] He assured the family of captives, "they will be kept in a secret place in order to keep them safe from any harm."[6] The bodies of the killed troops, however, were simply dumped in the local mountains.[16]
The
The attack came after three weeks from the
Aftermath
On 29 September, the head of the Houthi committee for prisoner-of-war affairs, Abdul Qader al-Murtada said that they were going to free 350 war prisoners. The following day, the Houthis unilaterally released 290 war prisoners including those who survived the Saudi-led coalition
Following the offensive, the country's foreign minister used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to focus blame on Iran. He said that "The solution rather lies in prompting these militias to implement the agreement and honoring the obligations they have assumed before the whole world".[21]
Pro-Houthi media consequently reported that leading Saudi commanders in the Saudi-Yemeni border region stepped down or were dismissed due to the success of Operation Victory from God.
See also
- Famine in Yemen (2016–present)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
References
- ^ a b c "Yemeni military reveals footage of 2nd phase of " Victory from God" operation". 2019-10-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Weiss, Caleb (29 September 2019). "Houthis claim major operation inside Saudi Arabia". Long War Journal. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Report: Saudi dismisses commander over Houthi attack in the kingdom". Middle East Monitor. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ a b "قائد لواء الفتح التابع لقوى العدوان يعترف بالهزيمة" [The commander of the Fatah brigade of the forces of aggression admits defeat]. Al-Alam News Network (in Arabic). 2 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ a b c "Yemen war: Houthi rebels claim mass capture of Saudi troops". BBC. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Yemen: Houthis claim capture of thousands of troops in Saudi raid". Aljazeera. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ TheGuardian.com. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ Cole, Juan (September 29, 2019). "Yemen's Houthis Claim Invasion of Saudi Arabia, Capture of Thousands of Troops in Najran". Common Dreams.
- ^ Desk, News (September 28, 2019). "Houthi forces capture Saudi Army officers in big attack along Yemeni border".
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has generic name (help) - ^ "الحوثيون يعلنون سقوط 3 ألوية للتحالف وأسر مئات العسكريين السعوديين". CNN Arabic. September 28, 2019.
- ^ Chmaytelli, Maher (2019-09-28). "Yemen's Houthis say attacked Saudi border frontline, no immediate Saudi confirmation". reuters. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ "Yemen: Houthi rebels claim capture of 'thousands' of Saudi troops". DW. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Yemen's Houthis announce capture of 'thousands of enemy troops'". Aljazeera. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Hassan Mohammed (3 October 2019). "روايات من قلب الانتكاسة .. كيف وقع لواء الفتح فريسة سهلة للحوثيين" [Novels from the heart of the setback .. How the brigade of conquest fell prey easy to the Houthis]. Balqees TV (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ "Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim attack on Saudi military post". timesofisrael. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ a b c Mu Xuequan (30 September 2019). "Yemen's Houthi footage show capture of over 2,000 coalition soldiers in Saudi Najran front". Xinhua. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ^ "Saudi-led coalition denies Houthi claims of troop capture". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ a b "Yemen Rebels Say They've Captured Many Saudi Soldiers in Attack". Bloomberg News.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia Agrees to Limited Cease-Fire in Yemen War". Bloomberg News.
- ^ "Yemeni rebels release hundreds of detainees". BBC News. September 30, 2019.
- ^ "At UNGA, Yemen Says Iran Stands In The Way Of Peace". radiofarda. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ اليمني, المشهد (October 22, 2019). "كيف رد "رداد الهاشمي" على عملية الحوثيين في كتاف ومقتل وأسر مئات الموالين للشرعية وماهو الخطأ القاتل الذي تسبب بالكارثة؟ | المشهد اليمني". www.almashhad-alyemeni.com.