JEDDAH: The Saudi-Yemeni border has witnessed relative calm in the last two days after Saudi armed forces, supported by Coalition planes, repulsed an attack by Houthi and militia forces of Ali Abdullah Saleh on the Al-Muwsim region of Jazan province.
The Saudi-coalition joint attack resulted in the death of a Houthi leader and 40 Houthi fighters, in addition to the destruction of military vehicles, and the bombing of rear elements of Houthi forces who were supporting their advance units with shelling of the populated border areas of the Al-Muwsim region. Some 5,000 people live in the area.
On Sunday, Saudi armed forces killed five Houthi and Saleh fighters trying to cross into the Kingdom.
Warplanes of the coalition, meanwhile, continued pounding Houthi militias in Sanaa and other provinces in Yemen.
The Yemeni government forces on Sunday liberated Al-Gheel county in the Al-Jouf province, the second largest Houthi stronghold in the region. Al-Gheel is strategically important for being situated parallel to Sadaa, the bastion of Houthis.
In the battle for Al-Gheel, more than 20 Houthis, including their commander, were killed and dozens were arrested, according to Yemeni sources.
The Yemeni national army and Popular Resistance Committee have confirmed the liberation of the key Al-Jouf county from the militia of the Houthis and Saleh.
In a statement carried by the Yemeni News Agency, a Yemeni Army source said the liberated county has been a key stronghold of the Houthi militia in the Al-Jouf Province.
Sources said Al-Gheel was liberated in a final push early Sunday by the army and resistance forces supported by planes of the Arab coalition. Dozens of militiamen made good
their escape but the victorious forces captured heavy military equipment plus medium and light weapons and ammunition, the sources said.