Arab Coalition Raids Kill Over 100 Houthi Fighters in Yemen’s Abdiya

Arab Coalition fighter jets (AFP)
Arab Coalition fighter jets (AFP)
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Arab Coalition Raids Kill Over 100 Houthi Fighters in Yemen’s Abdiya

Arab Coalition fighter jets (AFP)
Arab Coalition fighter jets (AFP)

The Arab Coalition announced on Wednesday 19 operations targeting Iran-backed Houthi militia targets and elements in Yemen’s Abdiya in the past 24 hours.

The Coalition said it had destroyed 12 military vehicles belonging to the Houthis in Abdiya, south of Marib governorate, adding that more than 108 militia members were killed.

On Tuesday, the Arab Coalition announced carrying out several airstrikes in Abdiya. The raids killed 300 Houthis within the last 24 hours of the announcement.

“We targeted nine military vehicles of the Houthi militia in Abdiya, and their losses exceeded 134 members,” said a statement carried by official Saudi media.

Hundreds of Houthi militias and military personnel have died since fighting for the strategically vital city flared anew last month.

The Coalition also accused the Houthis of obstructing the delivery of medication, food, and other life-saving supplies to more than 35,000 civilians trapped in the district.

Local authorities in Marib have issued a fresh appeal to international aid organizations and rights groups to rescue thousands of civilians trapped inside the Houthi-besieged district of Abdiya.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms revealed that 2,451 crimes, violations, and human and material damages were suffered by the civilian population and public and private properties in the besieged district from September 23 to October 13.

More so, the Arab Coalition destroyed two explosive-laden boats used by the Houthis.

“The Houthis continue to threaten shipping lines and international trade in the Bab al-Mandab strait and the southern Red Sea,” the Coalition said.

It added that the Houthis violated the Stockholm Agreement “by launching attacks from the Hodeidah governorate.”



Lebanon’s New PM Sees Positive Atmosphere in Cabinet Formation Talks

This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP
This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP
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Lebanon’s New PM Sees Positive Atmosphere in Cabinet Formation Talks

This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP
This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Friday the formation of a new government would not be delayed, indicating a very positive atmosphere in discussions over its composition.

Salam was nominated by a majority of lawmakers on Monday to form the new government, although he did not win the backing of the Shiite parties Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, led by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

"The atmosphere is more than positive among all the blocs and today from Speaker Berri," Salam said, speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Joseph Aoun, who was elected by parliament on Jan. 9.

Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, said on Friday he held a "promising meeting" with Salam.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Amal had wanted the incumbent Prime Minister Najib Mikati to stay in the post, but a majority of lawmakers opted for Salam, who formerly served as president of the International Court of Justice.

Government formation discussions are often protracted in Lebanon, due to bartering among its sectarian factions over cabinet positions.