In response to the call of the people of the Yemeni governorate of Shabwa to rescue them from the brutality of the Houthi militia, and before the end of 2021, the “Giant” brigades were mobilized for the “Battle of the Southern Cyclone”.
On Monday, December 27, the forces of the Giants Brigades operating within the joint forces on the western coast of Yemen, sent huge military forces to Shabwa governorate, in the south of the country.
This military move came as a redeployment of the Giants’ forces, the striking military force, to secure the eastern coast of Yemen, and liberate the 3 Shabwa districts: “Bayhan,” “Usaylan” and “Ain” from the grip of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.
The liberation of Shabwa governorate is considered a gateway to rescue Marib from the siege and Houthi brutality that affected civilians with Iranian-made ballistic missiles, and caused dozens of casualties, in massacres amounting to “war crimes.”
Until September 2021, the Houthi coup militia had no authority over Shabwa, until forces affiliated with the Brotherhood’s Islah Party handed it over without a fight, which caused a painful stab at the Marib fronts.
the beginning
On September 16, thousands of Yemenis gathered in an unprecedented tribal gathering in Shabwa, in the south of the country, to condemn the Muslim Brotherhood’s handing over of 3 districts in the governorate to the Houthi militia.
This tribal assembly confirmed what had been previously exposed, of the Brotherhood’s complicity, through its arm, the Islah Party, with the Iranian-backed Houthi coup.
This tribal gathering came at the invitation of tribal leader Muhammad Awad al-Wazir, a Yemeni parliamentarian who leads the Yemeni al-Awlaq tribes, and an advisor to the Yemeni president.
On December 26, the first step to liberate Shabwa came by appointing the minister as its governor, in a decision that overthrew the Brotherhood leader, Muhammad Saleh bin Udayo.
The following day, December 27, the “Giant Brigades” issued a brief statement, declaring that “many combat brigades of the reserve forces headed from the west coast to the east coast in Shabwa.”
She explained that forces from the giants, headed by Brigadier General Abu Zara’a Al Muharrami, will take over the process of liberating the three Shabwa districts, which fell into the hands of the Houthi militia in the governorate.
It also confirmed that its forces will remain on the western coast fronts in the face of the Houthi militia, while the recent deployment is part of large-scale military arrangements.
field readiness
On December 28, the forces of the “Giant Brigades” arrived in Shabwa, and people came out in the city of Azzan in Mayfa’a district, south of the governorate, receiving military vehicles and brigade soldiers coming from the west coast to the east coast, to liberate the districts from the Brotherhood and the Houthis.
This move was a prelude to the announcement of the zero hour to liberate the 3 districts of Shabwa from the Houthi coup, the beginning of lifting the siege of Marib and liberating its people from the oppression of the coup.
It took only a few hours for the Giants’ forces to reach the borders of the Bayhan district. On December 29, they reached the borders of the Houthi-controlled district to the northwestern side of Shabwa governorate.
A Yemeni military source told “Al-Ain News” that the Giants’ forces had completed their military redeployment in Ataq and headed towards the Bayhan district in preparation for entering the battle line with the Houthi militia.
start the battle
On December 31, the forces of the Giants Brigades entered the battle line with the Houthi militia in Shabwa, after reaching the capital, Ataq, within 24 hours.
A military source told “Al-Ain News” that the Giants forces deployed military units equipped with heavy artillery, in the face of the Houthi militia, on the “Al-Safra” front, to the southern side of the Asilan district, as part of a redeployment on the contact lines.
According to the source, the heavy artillery units of the giants have already begun to launch a series of deliberate strikes on the positions of the Houthi militia in “Al-Safra”; This is a prelude to a military ground operation to liberate all areas from the putschists.
On the other hand, military sources told Al-Ain Al-Akhbar that the Houthi militia has resorted to planting thousands of mines and anti-armor devices as part of its tactics to prevent any ground incursion of the giants into the 3 Baihan districts, which includes one of the most important corridors it takes to reach the southern Marib fronts.
It also brought most of its weaponry into the battle, including drones that launch bombs and ballistic missiles, and launched a series of preemptive attacks in an effort to prevent any military operation of the Giants brigades.
According to the sources, the Houthi militia hastened to reinforce its presence in Bayhan and withdraw many of its elements from the borders of Ma’rib to secure its supply lines through the “Al-Saadi” junction in the Ain district, which it is taking to strengthen its fronts south of Ma’rib.
According to the same sources, the reinforcements of the Houthi militia reached the al-Safra front, where the southern giants brigades are linked.
At the same time, the fighters of the Arab coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes, targeting the Houthi reinforcements coming towards the Shabwa fronts, including strikes that destroyed 5 vehicles in “Wadi al-Nahr” in Baihan and the town of “Al-Salim” in Asilan from the oil province.
Zero hour
With the beginning of 2022, specifically on January 1, the Giants Brigades forces achieved important field victories in the Usaylan district, in the northwestern side of Shabwa Governorate, in southern Yemen.
A military source told “Al-Ain News” that the Giants’ forces liberated the “Osailan district center” and headed towards the town of “Al-Naqoub” in the “Ain” district, where the Houthi militias are holed up.
According to the source, the giants have tightened control over the eastern outposts in Usaylan, east of the market, Al-Mahkamah and Al-Akda.
It also took control of the mountainous site of “Haid bin Aqil” in the Usaylan district, which is considered one of the most important strategic sites, according to the source.
The Giants forces launched a lightning attack on the Houthi militia positions in the Usaylan, Bayhan and Ain districts, as part of a military operation aimed at liberating them completely and lifting the siege on Marib.
And new forces entered Shabwa, on the battle line to secure the province and complete its liberation along with the forces of the Giants Brigades.
And the leader of the Transitional Council, Salem Thabet Al-Awlaki, published on his Facebook page, pictures of the Shabwa Defense Forces, which arrived in the governorate today from the training camps that were prepared in advance in the governorate.
Al-Awlaki said: “In the days of societies and peoples, days of victory and pride, and this remarkable day of the immortal days of Shabwa… Shabwa Defense Forces and the forces of giants.”
The pictures show columns of the military forces entering Shabwa on the first day of the start of the battle to liberate the governorate, which is being carried out by the Giants forces.
The Shabwa Defense Forces were formed from the people of the province, and the first brigades of these forces arrived in Ataq, the provincial capital, to participate in imposing security and securing the back of the attacking forces, in addition to participating in the liberation tasks.
In a related development, the governor of Shabwa, the head of the security committee in the governorate, announced yesterday, Saturday, the imposition of a state of emergency and a curfew in the three Baihan districts, which are witnessing military operations to liberate them from the Houthi coup militia.
The declaration of a state of emergency came in the districts of Bayhan, Usaylan and Ain, as they have become the scene of war operations and battles waged by the Giants Brigades in the face of the Houthi militias in order to liberate them from the remnants of the militias.
The governor of Shabwa directed the specialized engineering teams to clear the sites that had been restored in the Asilan district, from the remnants of war and mines planted by the Houthi militia.
The army and the giants were able to expel the Houthi militia from Usailan, located about 300 km from Sanaa, which is under the control of the Iranian-backed militias.
The Yemeni army forces, the Giants Brigades, and the air strikes of the coalition to support legitimacy, killed dozens of Houthis, and targeted combat vehicles and crews during the clashes.
Usailan and the districts of Bayhan and Ain are of great importance, as they are located on a main road linking the governorates of Shabwa and Marib, of which the Houthi militias occupy a part, which may pave the way for the liberation of the districts of Shabwa, and relieve pressure on that oil-rich governorate.