Yemen: Bayda Heads Towards Liberation

Houthi insurgents parade in Sana'a on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Houthi insurgents parade in Sana'a on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
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Yemen: Bayda Heads Towards Liberation

Houthi insurgents parade in Sana'a on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Houthi insurgents parade in Sana'a on December 19, 2017. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

The Yemeni National Army said that its forces had liberated strategic sites in the province of al-Bayda, resulting in casualties among the army and the militias.

Ali al-Akaily, spokesperson of Decisive Brigade affiliated to Yemeni government forces, said that the Yemeni National Army has successfully liberated the last stronghold of insurgents and moved to Bayda in an operation that won’t stop until full the liberation of Bayda province.

“Liberating Bayda would be easy because the militia didn't witness any stability there because the internal resistance didn't surrender, and because the province has no strategic importance for insurgents,” added Akaily.

The operation coincided with the continuous military operations by the Yemeni National Army, supported by the Saudi-led coalition.

Some observers told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the current military operations in the east of Sana’a indicate that the Yemeni National Army has prepared itself for a wide-scope offensive on insurgents' locations nearby Sana’a International Airport."

In the same context, Houhti militias continue to shell residential towns in Taiz, leading to the injury of four civilians. But to cover up their defeats in several battlefronts, Houthis escalated severity of their crimes and violations through detentions, killings and shelling residential towns.

Commenting on this, scholar researcher Dr. Abdo al-Bahesh said to Asharq Al-Awsat: “given that the Houthi militias have been disclosed and hated by people, even when about to collapse, they rushed to launch extensive campaigns of violence, arrests and raids of citizens’ houses, in an attempt to spread fear among residents and to prevent any imminent national revolution against the repressive militias.”

Bahesh added: “Clearly, Houthi militias are behaving hysterically, especially after back-stabbing ally Ali Abdullah Saleh who was providing militias a political cover-up and a social justification of various crimes, including the coup over the Yemeni government.”



Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.