AL-MUKALLA: Security forces in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden, the interim capital of Yemen, have seized a new consignment of drone components intended for the Iran-backed Houthis.
Security Belt Forces in Aden said in a statement that their forces recovered a number of sealed boxes containing telecommunication equipment meant to guide drones hidden in a truck in Aden’s Al-Mansoura district traveling to Houthi-controlled regions.
The cartons were disguised as medical supplies, according to security commander Jalal Al-Rubai, and the detained men admitted to loading the boxes from a warehouse for a local medical company in Aden.
The seizure of drone-related material comes nearly a week after another security force in neighboring Lahj province seized a shipment of drone components — including motors, batteries and cameras — in a van that was hidden beneath toys and covered with motorcycles.
Yemeni observers believe that the continued flow of weapons, including drones, to the Houthis indicates that the militia is preparing for military operations across the country, even as international mediators press them and the Yemeni government to renew the UN-brokered truce and reach a peace agreement to end the war.
Meanwhile, Yemeni military officials said that the Houthis launched a number of explosive-equipped and reconnaissance drones at government-controlled regions in Marib, Taiz, Lahj, and Shabwa.
Abdul Basit Al-Baher, a Yemeni military officer in Taiz, told Arab News on Monday that an explosive-laden drone fired by the Houthis shelled army positions on Han Mountain and also hit villages in Al-Dhabab, west of Taiz, on Sunday and that the Houthis have recently intensified drone and ground attacks on government troops as they repositioned new forces outside the besieged city of Taiz.
“Houthi actions demonstrate that they are not advancing toward peace but rather preparing for a more aggressive escalation,” Al-Baher said.
To counter the influx of weaponry to the Houthis through government territories, Al-Baher suggested that various military and security forces from provinces led by the government should be unified under a single command.
“Military and security formations should be merged to prevent the security lapses that permitted the Houthis to smuggle weapons into the country,” he said.
Aden authorities seize hidden drone components intended for Houthis
https://arab.news/jke3f
Aden authorities seize hidden drone components intended for Houthis
- Yemeni observers believe that flow of weapons to Houthis suggests militia is preparing for operations
- The seizure of drone-related material comes nearly a week after another security force in neighboring Lahj province seized a shipment of drone components
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
