Houthis Likely Behind Attack on Yemeni Army Base in Abyan

Part of the defense operations carried out by the Yemeni army in Marib (AFP)
Part of the defense operations carried out by the Yemeni army in Marib (AFP)
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Houthis Likely Behind Attack on Yemeni Army Base in Abyan

Part of the defense operations carried out by the Yemeni army in Marib (AFP)
Part of the defense operations carried out by the Yemeni army in Marib (AFP)

A major explosion rocked a Yemeni army base Sunday in the Modiya district of the southern governorate of Abyan with initial reports saying the attack, likely staged by Houthi militias, killed and injured at least 20 soldiers.

The assault on the army base follows Iran-backed Houthi militants losing ground in battlefields in the central governorate of Al Bayda.

Medics and military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the blast was either caused by a missile or a drone that targeted a mosque in the army’s Fifth Infantry Brigade camp in Modiya district in Abyan governorate when soldiers were performing the afternoon prayers.

At least five were killed, and 15 were injured, sources said, adding some of the wounded were in critical condition.

According to army analysts, Houthi militias stand to benefit the most from the attack, which could have been staged to confuse pro-government forces, like the army and the popular resistance.

They added that the hit took advantage of tensions between forces loyal to the internationally recognized government and Southern Transitional Council (STC) factions in some parts of Abyan.

A probe into the attack was launched, and initial results will be announced as soon as they are ready.

Meanwhile, pro-government armed popular resistance forces, backed by the Yemeni army’s Giants Brigade, continued to advance against Houthi positions in the al-Zahir district in Al Bayda, official sources reported.

The push seeks to secure hold on vital areas like Dhi Mukhshib, Jahour, and AsSwadna that lie on a strategic crossroad in the Jamajim area of al-Zahir.

Such progress ensures that government loyalists would surround the center of the Al-Zahir district, only a few kilometers away from the governorate’s capital city, also called Al Bayda. This will also help in cutting off major supply routes to the militias.



Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Strip as New Ceasefire Talks Begin

A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Strip as New Ceasefire Talks Begin

A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

An Israeli military strike killed 12 people in a house in Gaza City early on Saturday, bringing the death toll from strikes across Gaza to 62 over the last day, Palestinian medics said, as mediators launched a new ceasefire push in Qatar.

Residents and medics said at least 14 people had been in the house of the Al-Ghoula family when the strike took place in the early hours, destroying the building, Reuters reported.

People scoured the rubble for possible survivors trapped under the debris and medics said several children were among those killed. A few flames and trails of smoke continued to rise from burning furniture in the ruins hours after the attack.

"At about 2 a.m. (00:00 GMT) we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion," said Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbour of the Al-Ghoula family, adding that 14 or 15 people had been staying in the house.

"Most of them are women and children, they are all civilians, there is no one there who shot missiles, or is from the resistance," Ayyan told Reuters.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident.

The military said in a statement on Saturday that its forces had continued their operations this week in Beit Hanoun town in the northern edge of the enclave, where the army has been operating for three months, and had destroyed a military complex that had been used by Hamas.

Later on Saturday, an Israeli airstrike killed three people in a car east of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, medics said. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in strikes on Friday, bringing the death toll during the past 24 hours to 62, health officials said.

A surge in Israeli operations and the number of Palestinians killed in recent days comes amid a renewed push to reach a ceasefire in the 15-month-old war and return Israeli hostages before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Israeli mediators were dispatched to resume talks in Doha brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and US President Joe Biden's administration, which is helping to broker the talks, urged Hamas on Friday to agree to a deal.

Hamas said it was committed to reaching an agreement but it was unclear how close the two sides were.