Many of you have already passed the word of the Yemeni defeat of three Saudi brigades. Here is the description of this victory from the English edition of the Yemeni Almasirah Media Network.
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News – Yemen
The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces says three Saudi military brigades were completely destroyed after Yemeni Army troops, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, mounted a large-scale military offensive in the kingdom’s southern border region of Najran.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital Sana’a on Saturday evening, Brigadier General Yahya Saree described the major and efficient operation, dubbed Victory from Allah, as the biggest-ever since Saudi Arabia and some of its allies embarked an atrocious military campaign on Yemen more than four years ago, noting that the offensive lasted several months and inflicted dramatic losses – both in terms of military hardware and personnel – upon the enemy, the media bureau of Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement said in a statement.
“The operation resulted in the complete destruction of three military brigades of the enemy (Saudi) forces, seizure of large quantities of military equipment, including hundreds of vehicles and armored vehicles, capture of thousands of enemy forces, mostly traitors and the beguiled (Saudi sponsored Yemeni militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi). Hundreds more were killed and wounded in the process as well,” Saree pointed out. (Almasirah English)
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The Arabic language version of Almashirah had a few more details. I got these details only through Google Translate. This was another well planned operation aimed to lure the Saudis into a trap before annihilating them within 72 hours of the commencement of the operation. In other words, the Saudi forces were not only out-fought by the plucky little hill people, but they were out-witted, out-planned and out-campaigned by the Houthis. The Houthis employed “specialized” units of the Yemeni Army including “rocket power and air force marching and defense Aerial” [Google translate results]. I'm sure Colonel Lang or another Arabic speaker here can give a better translation.
The Houthi forces had to protect their prisoners from ensuing Saudi airstrikes. I suspect the captured Yemeni militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and other mercenary prisoners will no longer be supporting the Saudi Royals after being targeted by the Saudi Air Force. Many may decide to come over to the Houthi side rather than remain POWs.
This same Yemeni Army brigadier general speaking today mentioned Yemeni Armed Forces possessed enough drones, rockets and cruise missiles to last two years when he introduced these weapons several months ago. Between this fact and today’s Houthi ground victory, it is no surprise the Saudis are accepting the ceasefire.
Spin that, you miserable royal bastards!
Almashirah said there will be a more in depth briefing on Operation Victory from Allah tomorrow.
TTG
http://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9020&cat_id=1
(The Arabic language version)
The Houtis are the Finns of Arabia. Bien fait, bravo!
Curious how that joker Pompeo will blame Iran for this.
washington has not yet figured it out but they are the recreated ottomans and the time period is just before and during world war 1….. the setting is the current middle east.
our fate, as the present lord of that region, is going to be the same as it was for the ottomans.
Southfront has a map:
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-september-29-2019-map-update/
and suggests 6 brigades.
If the Houthi’s defeated six Saudi brigades (!), this represents more than a full Division. According to WIkipedia, the entire Saudi army consists of 75,000 men – roughly three or maybe 4 divisions. So the Houthi’s have destroyed/captured between a quarter and a third of the Saudi Army? If I’ve got that right, and I’m a CPA not a military man, then the Houthis have inflicted a catastrophic defeat on the Saudis.
Very interested to know more. The ramifications of this defeat are huge. Particularly for the US imperial order.
شاركت وحدات متخصصة من قواتنا في إطار دعم وإسناد العملية في محور نجران
Specialized units of our forces participated in the operation’s support in Najran theater.
وعلى رأسها
primarily
القوة الصاروخية
“the rocket power”
وسلاح الجو المسير
and the “guided” air force
والدفاع الجوي.
and the air defense.
Above is a quasi literal translation. Thank you for your article!
Fantastic. Looks like some pretty nice damage from shaped charges.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/29/607432/Yemeni-Army-release-footage-of-Victory-from-God-Almighty-offensive-against-Najran
TTG,
Have the Saudis acknowledged the defeat yet? Probably not, and never will publicly. But I would hope there is grumbling and scheming going on in the royal family to defenestrate bin Salman.
Where does bin-Zayed stand on the potential ceasefire? He and his Emiratis are the ones blockading Hodeidah, and pushing for a two-state Yemen.
King Salman’s former body guard, who was apparently discharged by MBS not long ago, has been killed.
https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1178243015325843457
B reports what sounds like a fecal-ventilator interface in SA
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/09/saudi-arabia-another-defeat-in-yemen-kings-bodyguard-killed.html#more
Mohamed, thank you for this. The rocket power probably refers to their surface to surface rocket artillery. The guided air force is probably their fleet of reconnaissance and attack drones. Their air defense is just that. It’s now sufficient to keep Saudi air attacks at bay. The smartest decision made by the Saudi royals is to sue for peace. Otherwise they will have their royal Saudi asses handed to them by AnsarAllah in short order.
The rocket power may also refer to an increased supply of ATGMs. This reminds me of the old Soviet Army tactics of firepockets – large scale armor ambushes using Sagger ATGMs and AT guns. I knew an Egyptian major in Fort Benning who commanded a motorized rifle company at the 1973 battle of Chinese Farm in the Sinai Penninsula. His battalion deployed as a fire pocket to defeat two Israeli armor assaults before withdrawing under heavy fire.
Dividab, I’d stick with the 3 brigades unless today’s briefing by BG Yahya Saree says otherwise. Also, we have to remember a lot of the captured/killed are not Saudi soldiers. Seems a lot were Yemeni militiaman under Saudi officers. In my opinion, the Yemeni militiamen would have done better under their own leadership than under Saudi leadership. The few Saudi officers I met weren’t worth a shit.
An old Soviet joke:
This is Armenian Radio; our listeners asked us: “Why did the man who shot at a government limousine on the Red Square miss the target?”
We’re answering: “Because citizens who happened to be next to him tried to wrest the gun from him and shouted, ‘Let me shoot!’”
Major high speed rail station in Jeddah is burning
JP, I haven’t anything about Saudi acknowledgement or bin-Zayed’s intentions. My guess is that, if the Saudis fold, all their allies will follow suit.
The loss of local forces or mercs represents a line item in KSA’s budget. It really starts to hurt when native Saudis or Saudi territory is lost. Arrogance cancels out air superiority.
CC,
Did the Saudis lose any territory? I thought the defeat of the Saudi led brigade(s) was in Yemeni territory south of the border with Najran. Where the Houthis had lured them into a trap.
Ah thanks, TTG. Still a big army – could be a Division depending – and I wonder if it is pretty much the beginning of the end for the Saudi efforts in this regard. Given the large amount of materiel captured, mostly by the looks of it purchased from the USA, this could be a major boost to the Houthis esp. if the captured Yemenis switch sides.
Sir;
I wonder if the Yemenis claim the region around Najran as ‘irredentist’ territory?
Could Yemen annex Najran and it’s hinterlands?
I also wonder if a Yemeni advance up the coast of the Red Sea were possible. As in, a threat to Mecca.
Don’t think I’d take the word “brigade” too seriously. A lot of the vehicles are Cdn LAVs — what Turdeau insisted were “jeeps”
Ambrit,
Najran was part of an ancient Yemen kingdom. I am fuzzy on her modern history, but think she was conquered in the 1930s by the Saudis when they also took the Red Sea coast provinces of Jizan and much of Asir away from Yemen.
Our host would know more.
Patrick Armstrong
Yes, the Arab League never succeeded in stabilizing the meaning of names for unit sizes, but the number 3000 is consistently mentioned. IMO the Yemenis should move the prisoners, however many, down to Sanaa and invite the IRC and UN to come in and count and register them The Yemenis are living from hand to mouth and probably cannot feed or house them The IRC could do that. It is their mission. The resulting pictures would be marvelous propaganda.
JP Billen
You are correct and not content with that the Saudis have surreptitiously moved the boundary markers south a few hundred yards ar a time ever since. What goes around comes around.
JP Billen
This seems to be in Najran Province, SA.
TTG,
it is one of the cases of ‘charma is a bitch’.
So MbS, an rookie with violent tendencies, starts the war on Yemen, gets in over his limits and now just got some three brigades lured into an ambush from folks who know the terrain, know how to fight and what for.
By declaring the war on Yemen MbS has trashed en passant America’s iirc once rather effective fight against Al Quada like groups there, and made it worse by using just such groups against the houthis and supporting them logistically.
Since 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists were citizens of Saudi Arabia it sort of fits in an ugly way. What an ally.
Likely, if MbS
dropsbetrays them, the self appointed leaders of Islam may eventually have to fight against their own combat experienced Islamists some day, likely a fight the Saudi royalty will counter with flights.That that would probably have oil prices rise a lot, which would be good for … US frack oil and gas and, unintentionally, russian oil sales too.
In that sense, Saudi Arabia and MbS are America’s frenemies.
On the minus side I read recently that buying US frack gas or oil has about doubled the gas price in Poland.
Quite a price for “sovereignty” and “independence from Russian gas” likely only unhappily paid by polish citizens (who weren’t exactly asked anyway).
Its geting cold in the winter there in the east. In the 1920s my grandmother’s father in East Prussia had a sled accident and froze to death. In winter some -20°C and 6 feet of snow are normal there. My late grandmother told me she also heared the wolves howling in the night.
Anyway, the point is that you have to heat some way – its “Putin or fracking or freezing”.
I don’t know if the Houthis have a strategy of trying to hold territory or not. I was just making a general statement that the Saudis are willing to burn money and try to starve the Yemenis out. The only way to end the war is to make it a personal loss to the KSA.
1. If the Houthis were able to occupy KSA territory, that would be a loss of prestige for bin Salman.
2. Some $10,000 yr mercs die, eh, replacable but if a sizable number of Saudis die then bin Salman has to deal with some angry people.
3. Hit Saudi oil infrastructure, that’s the biggest win of all. They can replace equipment and mercs for a long time but threatening their income source like they did recently really gets their attention.
CC,
I suspect you are right. At least for your points #1 & 2, and probably for #3 as well. But the Saudis are expecting that, so why not take a different action? Make it a personal loss to the KSA by taking down a few of the Saudi planes involved in bombing runs in the Yemen. The RSAF has continued their attacks. I am assuming the pilots are not mercs so it hits closer to home. Set up a SAM ambush. Maybe even get a prince of the al Saud?
And yes, continue with cruise and ballistic missile attacks, and drone attacks. But why not focus on RSAF airfields while Saudi and Trump’s eyes are focused on protecting oil infrastructure?
Houthis are getting some good PR by releasing several hundred of their recent captives. Facilitated by the international Red Cross, which I our host may have predicted. Reuters is reporting that the Houthis have released hundreds of POWs including a few Saudis.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/yemens-houthis-to-release-350-prisoners-including-three-saudis-al-masirah-tv-idUSKBN1WF0RN?il=0
Neither the Saudis nor their proxies have responded yet. But the Hadi Government in Exile, from their lavish mansions in Riyadh, said the incident at the Najran border had NOT taken place and video released by the al-Masirah was old footage.
Don’t you know? Those wily Persians can teleport!
350 fewer mouths for the Houthis to feed.
That said, if I were one of those prisoners, I’d really be scared. The Saudis do not like it when their mercenaries surrender. Worse, the Saudis are trying to keep their defeat a secret, so the last thing the Saudis want are 350 living talking witnesses to their corruption, brutality and incompetence.