Yemeni Forces Foil Houthi Scheme to Plant Naval Mines off Midi Coast

People walk past a ship docked at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen. Reuters
People walk past a ship docked at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen. Reuters
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Yemeni Forces Foil Houthi Scheme to Plant Naval Mines off Midi Coast

People walk past a ship docked at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen. Reuters
People walk past a ship docked at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen. Reuters

Yemeni naval forces thwarted Houthi militias' attempt to plant naval mines around the coast of Midi District in Hajjah Governorate.

Yemeni military sources said that Yemeni naval forces targeted boats that were used by the militias attempting to plant the naval mines, some 30 nautical miles from the coast of Midi, which resulted in the deaths of several specialists in planting mines.

The sources added that the military operation resulted in a number of casualties in the Houthi ranks, following the clashes and the failure of their plan, and the government forces captured the boat used by the militias to carry out the offensive.

“Houthi rebels usually resort to the use of some fishing boats to disguise after adding military and mechanical modifications to them,” sources added.

The Yemeni army forces, with the support of the Saudi-led coalition, removed dozens of sea mines planted by the Houthis in the Red Sea, off the coasts of Midi, to target various ships and fishing boats and obstruct the navigation route.

On the other hand, the fighting intensified on the battle fronts al-Bayda and al-Jawf coinciding with air strikes carried out by aircraft of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen.

The fighting and the air strikes against the Houthi coup caused the militia heavy losses in lives and equipment on various fronts.

The government forces also liberated strategic mountain positions in Nahm front, northeast of Sana’a, following clashes that killed at least 25 members of the pro-Iranian group.

There were also other battles between the Yemeni army forces and the Houthi militias, north of the border province of Jawf in the Aqaba region.

"The battles resulted in deaths and injuries of Houthi militants, in addition to the destruction of a combat vehicle and weapons and ammunition," the army's website said.

Governor of al-Jawf Amin al-Okimi inspected "the front lines of the army and the resistance in the series of mountains that overlook Wadi Khab," official sources said.
"The army is determined to clear Wadi Khab, the last location where the militias are based," Okimi said in a statement.

He also stressed that all individuals need to be ready to fight and complete the liberation of all areas in the province.



EU Cautiously Agrees Roadmap to Ease Sanctions on Syria in Wake of Assad’s Downfall

 People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
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EU Cautiously Agrees Roadmap to Ease Sanctions on Syria in Wake of Assad’s Downfall

 People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
People walk in front of the historic Hejaz train station in Damascus on January 26, 2025. (AFP)

European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to begin lifting sanctions on Syria, while insisting that the measures should be reimposed if they see any abuses by the country’s new rulers.

The EU started to impose asset freezes and travel bans on Syrian officials and organizations in 2011 in response to Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on protesters, which festered into a civil war.

The 27-nation bloc targeted 316 people and 86 entities accused of backing Syria’s former ruler. It is keen to lift those measures if Syria’s new leaders set the country on the path to a peaceful political future involving all minority groups and in which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran have no place.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers had agreed on a “roadmap” for easing sanctions. Speaking after chairing the meeting, she said, the aim was to lift those measures “that are most hindering the early buildup of the country and to move from there.”

She underlined that the ministers had only reached “a political agreement” - not one to start easing the measures immediately - and that “there are also technical issues to be solved” in the weeks ahead before any sanctions can be lifted.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani welcomed on Monday the EU's decision to lift sanctions, describing it as a “positive step” in a post on X.

Kallas said that an easing of sanctions “could give a boost to the Syrian economy and help the country get back on its feet.” But she added: “While we aim to move fast, we also are ready to reverse the course if the situation worsens.”

The ministers favor on a “snap back” mechanism to reimpose sanctions if they believe that Syria's new leaders are heading in the wrong direction.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said the aim would be to lift restrictions on things like Syria’s infrastructure and energy sector “so that the country can develop itself again.” He said that “certain sanctions will stay in place, such as (on) weapons exports.”

Since Damascus fell on Dec. 8 and Assad fled to Moscow, Syria’s transition has appeared promising, but the new leadership has yet to lay out a clear vision of how the country will be governed.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group – a former al-Qaeda affiliate that the EU and UN consider to be a terrorist organization – has established itself as Syria’s de facto rulers after coordinating with the southern fighters during the offensive late last year.

Veldkamp said that the restrictions on HTS itself would not be eased initially. “They’re the new ones in power. We want to see how their words are translated into actions,” he told reporters.