Yemeni Government Seeks to Raise Combat Forces Readiness

General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
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Yemeni Government Seeks to Raise Combat Forces Readiness

General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)

The Yemeni government has announced that it was working to raise the readiness of armed forces to confront outlaws and pursue terrorist elements.

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting in the city of Aden amid a campaign led by security and military forces in separate areas of Abyan and Shabwa to track down members of extremist organizations.

An official statement noted that the Council of Ministers “called on all the military and security services in the temporary capital and the liberated governorates, to raise their readiness to confront terrorist acts” and to implement proactive plans to maintain security and stability.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government welcomed the statement issued by the UN Security Council, and the international positions that clearly condemned the obstacles set by the Houthi militia to hinder the arrival of fuel ships at the ports of Hodeidah.

In the same context, the Yemeni cabinet renewed its commitment to a comprehensive and sustainable peace approach in accordance with locally agreed and supported regional and international references, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding the Houthi militia’s violations of the humanitarian truce, its continued refusal to deal with all peaceful efforts, and its rejection to lift its siege on the city of Taiz and the opening of roads under the terms of the armistice.

Meanwhile, Yemeni Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Mohsen al-Daari held several meetings with Western military officials in Riyadh.

He also met with the Commander of the Joint Forces, Deputy Chief of the Saudi General Staff, Lieutenant-General Mutlaq bin Salem Al-Azima.

Yemeni official sources noted that Al-Daari discussed with Al-Azima the readiness of the combat forces, stressing that the next stage was crucial in the history of Yemen, its armed forces in particular, and the region in general.

The Yemeni Minister of Defense affirmed the commitment of the armed forces to the UN truce, despite the Houthi violations. He also accused the militia of coordinating “with elements of Al-Qaeda and ISIS to carry out terrorist operations in the liberated areas.”



Iraqi Forces Kill ISIS ‘Deputy Ruler’ of Kirkuk

A joint force of the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces searches for ISIS members in the Nineveh province. (AFP)
A joint force of the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces searches for ISIS members in the Nineveh province. (AFP)
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Iraqi Forces Kill ISIS ‘Deputy Ruler’ of Kirkuk

A joint force of the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces searches for ISIS members in the Nineveh province. (AFP)
A joint force of the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces searches for ISIS members in the Nineveh province. (AFP)

Iraqi forces launched a military operation to eliminate remaining ISIS cells in the Zaghitoun Valley, located between the Kirkuk and Saladin governorates.

The Joint Operations Command said in a statement that airstrikes killed ISIS’ deputy ruler of Kirkuk Maher Hamad Salbi (Abu Obaida) and six of his associates in the Hamrin mountains.

The statement added that Iraqi F-16 jets targeted a key hideout of the militants, who had attempted to attack the forces carrying out the mission.

A special forces unit, with technical support from the Joint Operations Command’s Targeting Cell, reached the site with assistance from Kirkuk Operations Command's engineering efforts.

“A security force arrived at the scene and found an M16 rifle, a thermal scope, two hand grenades, a suicide belt, four ammunition magazines, six mobile phones, a flash drive, a solar panel, and bedding,” the statement added.

The team returned safely after completing the mission.

The statement said security forces surrounded a complex of caves and hideouts in the Hamrin mountains for five days, using precise intelligence to successfully eliminate the remaining ISIS members.

An official source stated that “security forces from the Kirkuk Operations Command launched a large-scale military operation on Friday morning in the Zaghitoun Valley, west of Kirkuk, near Saladin.”

The operation aims to remove ISIS cells in the valley, which has been used by the group as a hideout and occasionally sees terrorist activity. The operation includes destroying ISIS hideouts and cutting off escape routes.

Although the Iraqi government declared ISIS defeated in 2017, the group remains active in remote areas, still posing a security threat. The UN estimates the number of ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria at between 1,500 and 3,000.