On December 13, Brigadier General Eubayd Al’athala commander of the Saada axis in pro-Hadi forces announced that the Saudi-led coalition has deployed two well-armed brigades around the province of Saada in northern Yemen, according to the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV. The commander said that the deployment is a part of the preparation for a final battle “to cut off the head of the sneak” in Saada, in a hint to the Houthis.
The province of Saada is considered the heartland of the Houthis in Yemen. Moreover, the Houthis leadership are believed to be in Miran Mountains in Haydan district in the center of Saada. Any attack on the Houthis in Saada will likely face a strong resistance.
Meanwhile in western Yemen, the Houthis managed to stop the advance of the Saudi-led coalition towards the strategic port of al-Hudaydah. In Taiz province southeast of al-Hudaydah, the Houthis destroyed several vehicles of the Saudi-led coalition after a successful ambush.
From its side, the Saudi-led coalition continued its heavy bomging campaign on the Houthis mainly in western and northern Yemen. According to pro-Hadi forces, over 150 fighters of the Houthis were killed, and 100 other were injured in Saudi-led airstrikes during the last three days.
Pro-Hadi forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition will likely make another attempt to reach the port of al-Hudaydah in the upcoming days. However, without securing the mountain region east of the coastal highway to the port, the attempt will likely fail.