Arab Coalition Destroys Ballistic Missile Launchpad in Yemen's Hajjah Governorate

Government security member helps his disabled father get to a Mosque for Eid Prayers in Aden. EPA
Government security member helps his disabled father get to a Mosque for Eid Prayers in Aden. EPA
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Arab Coalition Destroys Ballistic Missile Launchpad in Yemen's Hajjah Governorate

Government security member helps his disabled father get to a Mosque for Eid Prayers in Aden. EPA
Government security member helps his disabled father get to a Mosque for Eid Prayers in Aden. EPA

Arab Coalition air forces destroyed on Friday a ballistic missile launchpad in Yemen, reported the pan-Arab television news channel Al-Arabiya.

The launchpad was used and put together by Iran-allied militias in the war-torn country, and was in the Hajjah Governorate.

A military source stated that the coalition strike targeted the missile platform after it was spotted in a rural area between the Hiran administrative district and the northern border town of Hardh.

The coalition launched a number of airstrikes in the area that led to the destruction of heavy weaponry and vehicles belonging to the Houthi militias killing and injuring an unspecified number of militants.

The source further stated that the platform was used to fire a ballistic missile to the Saudi territories earlier. He said that the coalition forces located the platform and targeted it despite efforts to conceal its position.

The operation came at a time when the Yemenis welcomed the first day of Eid al-Adha holiday this year with untold grievances and suffering caused by the continued insurgency militias lead.

Iran-backed Houthi militiamen and armed loyalists backing ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh have led a national coup against the internationally backed and constitutionally elected government. In 2014, militiamen overran the capital Sana’a forcing the government headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to relocate to Aden.

Many Yemenis lived under militia bombardment as they exploit various weapons and stage infiltration attempts against national army positions in hopes of restoring positions lost in previous battles.

Over the past 48 hours, militia ranks suffered heavy casualties and material damage as a result of renewed confrontations on various fronts and raids by coalition fighters.

Putschist gunmen did not observe sanctity during Eid prayers and days, as they continued their crimes and violations against defenseless citizens by shelling mosques. Militias are responsible for the death of seven soldiers and wounding 11 others as a result of rocket shelling, said a field source.

The bombardment took place in east of Sana'a, during the Eid prayer, another local source said.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.