Yemen conflict: Gulf commanders 'killed in missile strike'

[Maarkhoor]

Col Abdullah al-Sahyan was reportedly the head of Saudi special forces in Yemen

They appear to have been killed by a missile fired by Houthi rebels at troops from the Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore Yemen's government.

Rebel and government sources said the attack, in the province of Taiz, left dozens of coalition troops dead.

The incident comes ahead of UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland on Tuesday.

A seven-day ceasefire will begin at 09:00 GMT on Tuesday to coincide with the talks, the Saudi-led coalition announced. Earlier, the government had said it would begin at 21:00 GMT on Monday.
'Enemy command centre'
The Saudi state news agency quoted a coalition statement as saying Saudi Col Abdullah al-Sahyan and Emirati officer Sultan al-Ketbi were killed early on Monday while "carrying out their duties in following up the progress of operations of liberating" Taiz province.

Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV said Col Sahyan was the head of Saudi special forces there.

The coalition provided no details about how the two officers died, but local media and Yemeni sources said they were killed in a rocket or missile strike south-west of the contested city of Taiz.

A pro-government military source told the Reuters news agency that the rocket hit at a camp housing Yemeni, Sudanese, Emirati and Saudi troops in the Dhubab area, near the strategically important Bab al-Mandab strait through the Red Sea, and that "tens were killed".

The pro-Houthi Saba news agency cited a rebel statement as saying they had fired a Soviet-era Tochka missile at a "command centre run by the enemy". The attack caused "many losses in lives and military equipment", including Apache helicopters, the statement added.

Saudi-led coalition and Yemen government forces have failed to drive the rebels out of Taiz

If confirmed, the attack would be the deadliest on the coalition since 45 Emirati troops were killed when a Tochka missile hit a base in Marib province, east of the capital, Sanaa, in September.

At least 5,700 people, almost half of them civilians, have been killed in air strikes and fighting on the ground since the Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign in March after the Houthis seized Sanaa and advanced towards the second city of Aden.

The already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen has also deteriorated severely, with more than 21 million people - four-fifths of the population - now requiring aid.

Since March, coalition and pro-government forces have retaken Aden and the city of Marib, but have failed to drive the rebels out of the third city of Taiz.
Yemen conflict: Gulf commanders 'killed in missile strike' - BBC News

 

[Maarkhoor]

@Horus @haviZsultan @Hyperion @Indus Falcon

@Zarvan

Saudi Colonel Sahyan (L) receives a medal of courage from Yemeni President Hadi

Saudi and Emirati military commanders killed in Yemen
Al-Araby al-Jadeed staff Date of publication: 14 December, 2015
Tags
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Yemen, commanders, senior officers, colonel, Apache, Houthi, Patriot, missile, Tochka, Bab al-Mandab, Sahyan, Kitbi
The Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting rebels in Yemen has announced the death of two senior officers during military operations in Yemen's south-west.

A senior Saudi military commander and an Emirati colonel were killed on Monday in what reports say a missile attack that targeted an area near Bab al-Mandab in Yemen.

The Saudi commander of operations in Aden, Colonel Abdullah al-Sahyan, and Emirati Colonel Sultan al-Kitbi were killed on Monday along with other Arab coalition forces during military operations near Bab al-Mandab in Taiz province.

The Saudi-led coalition has confirmed the deaths of the two senior officers.

Colonel Sahyan received a medal of courage from Yemeni President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi a day before he was killed on Monday.

Earlier attacks

Sources from the Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced that they had targeted on Sunday night the coalition's command centre in Shi'b al-Jinn near Bab al-Mandab using a "Tochka" (Russian-made ballistic missile).

They also targeted Jizan Regional Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, according to the sources.

The official Yemeni news agency, which is currently run by the Houthi rebels, reported that 42 people were killed in Bab al-Mandab, while two Patriot missile systems were damaged and three Apache helicopters and 40 military vehicles were destroyed. Al-Araby al-Jadeed could not verify this information.


So far at least 80 people, mostly soldiers and border guards, have been killed in Saudi Arabia because of the Yemen conflict, according to AFP. The UAE says it has lost almost 70 soldiers so far.

A seven-day ceasefire is due to enter into force on Tuesday to coincide with UN-mediated peace talks in Switzerland.

- See more at: Saudi and Emirati military commanders killed in Yemen

 

[Death In Fire]

Houthis are an effective fighting force.

 

[That Guy]

People keep saying that the Arab coalition and Hadi's forces have taken a lot of land, and looking at the map, that's clearly misleading. Most of the land they've taken are just empty fields, while the Houthis have taken fully inhabited cities and rural areas with large populations.

If the Arabs want to win, they NEED to commit more than just money and fighter jets. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but their ground troops NEED to start taking the initiative, which I have not heard them doing so far.

Note, all the major cities are on the west, under either Houthi control, or houthi operational space.

 

[Maarkhoor]

People keep saying that the Arab coalition and Hadi's forces have taken a lot of land, and looking at the map, that's clearly misleading. Most of the land they've taken are just empty fields, while the Houthis have taken fully inhabited cities and rural areas with large populations.

If the Arabs want to win, they NEED to commit more than just money and fighter jets. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but their ground troops NEED to start taking the initiative, which I have not heard them doing so far.

Today News Saudi announces coalition of 34 Muslim nations including Pakistan and Turkey minus the Iran.

 

[That Guy]

Today News Saudi announces coalition of 34 Muslim nations including Pakistan and Turkey minus the Iran.

I know. It probably has nothing to do with Yemen, and more to do with daesh. I also doubt it'll materialize as an effective fighting force.

 

[Maarkhoor]

I know. It probably has nothing to do with Yemen, and more to do with daesh. I also doubt it'll materialize as an effective fighting force.

Specially when Saudi lead the coalition.

 

[Maarkhoor]

good job, Houthis.

@waz @Slav Defence
he is celebrating death of a soldier.

 

[Maarkhoor]

152 Feared Dead in Yemen Ballistic Missle Strike
DUBAI — One hundred and fifty-two coalition soldiers are feared dead after a short range ballistic missile strike hit a coalition base at the strategic Bab al-Mandab region in the south, a coalition source told Defense News.

Among the dead in the attack, which took place Monday afternoon, was the commander of the Saudi Special Forces, Col. Abdullah Al Sahyan, the source confirmed.

"So far, nine Emirati soldiers, seven Moroccans and 23 Saudis have been identified," the source added.

The missile strike was conducted by OTR-21 Tochka mobile missile launch system for short range ballistic missiles, the source said.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition also announced Monday that the planned cease-fire in the country will start at 12:00 midday, Sanaa time, 9:00 am GMT, on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

"The coalition reserves its right to respond to any breach of the seven-day truce which is renewable on December 21 in case of compliance by the other party (the Houthis)", according to a statement by the command, carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The command of the coalition reaffirmed commitment to supporting the Yemeni people and their internationally recognized government, and contributing to the efforts aiming to reach a political settlement to the Yemeni crisis, SPA reported.

The decision to declare a ceasefire came in response to an initiative contained in a letter by Yemeni President Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the statement pointed out.

The truce takes effect in synchronization with the UN-sponsored peace talks between the government, on one hand, and the Houthi rebels and supporters of the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, on the other.

The talks, due in Switzerland on Tuesday, aim to reach a lasting peace deal based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2216.

"The Houthis fired a long-range missile at a secret headquarters of the pro-government military leadership close to the strategic strait of Bab al-Mandab, killing more than 100 men of the coalition," said Shehab Al Makahleh, a political analyst and director of Geostrategic Media Middle East.

"The launch of a Tochka missile on a military base in southwest of Yemen by al-Mandab Strait aims to shift the political scene, which the coalition had been trying to achieve for more than eight months, which culminated in an expected cease-fire tonight before Geneva talks," he said.

The strike proves that the Houthi rebels in Yemen have improved intelligence capabilities, Makahleh added.

"Two other missiles were also launched yesterday and today on Jizan, which led the Saudis to send more troops to the borders with Yemen," he added.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was due to order his commanders to halt all fire five minutes before midnight on Monday, said officials in Hadi's office.

"We have agreed to the cease-fire to lift the suffering of our people and to deliver humanitarian assistance to them," Mohammed Abdel Salam, the spokesman of the Houthis, said Dec. 12 at a news conference in Sanaa as the Houthi delegation prepared to depart for Geneva.

The internationally recognized government has long requested the unconditional implementation of a UN Security Council resolution that requires the rebels to withdraw from all areas they control and lay down arms captured in months of fighting.

Abdel Salam said the Houthi delegation will discuss the resolution at the talks in Geneva, which were due to begin on Monday. But so far the Houthis have not said they would agree to its terms.

The Security Council approved the resolution in April, after the Saudi-led coalition began launching airstrikes in March against the Houthi rebels in support of Hadi's government.

Even with the approaching ceasefire, clashes intensified across several front lines in the country.

More than 27 fighters from both sides were killed in Taiz and Lahj provinces late on Friday and Saturday, while 16 pro-government fighters and 10 Houthi fighters were killed in Jawf province, according to independent security officials.

The Saudi-led coalition also continued to carry out airstrikes against Houthi positions, according to the officials.

152 Feared Dead in Yemen Ballistic Missle Strike

 

[Kompromat]

Rest in peace.

 

[Pandora]

Houthis are an effective fighting force.

Its not the houthis. Saudis just dont know how to fight. They have no sense of strategy or goals. They wre randomly droping bombs hoping that some might houthis. The fact that commanders are such easy targets shows weak military.

 

[Taygibay]

R.I.P.

Tay.

 

[Aurangzeb29]

Is this the largest loss of life for the Saudi coalition so far ?

 

[mpk1988]

152 Feared Dead in Yemen Ballistic Missle Strike
DUBAI — One hundred and fifty-two coalition soldiers are feared dead after a short range ballistic missile strike hit a coalition base at the strategic Bab al-Mandab region in the south, a coalition source told Defense News.

Among the dead in the attack, which took place Monday afternoon, was the commander of the Saudi Special Forces, Col. Abdullah Al Sahyan, the source confirmed.

"So far, nine Emirati soldiers, seven Moroccans and 23 Saudis have been identified," the source added.

The missile strike was conducted by OTR-21 Tochka mobile missile launch system for short range ballistic missiles, the source said.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition also announced Monday that the planned cease-fire in the country will start at 12:00 midday, Sanaa time, 9:00 am GMT, on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

"The coalition reserves its right to respond to any breach of the seven-day truce which is renewable on December 21 in case of compliance by the other party (the Houthis)", according to a statement by the command, carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The command of the coalition reaffirmed commitment to supporting the Yemeni people and their internationally recognized government, and contributing to the efforts aiming to reach a political settlement to the Yemeni crisis, SPA reported.

The decision to declare a ceasefire came in response to an initiative contained in a letter by Yemeni President Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the statement pointed out.

The truce takes effect in synchronization with the UN-sponsored peace talks between the government, on one hand, and the Houthi rebels and supporters of the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, on the other.

The talks, due in Switzerland on Tuesday, aim to reach a lasting peace deal based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2216.

"The Houthis fired a long-range missile at a secret headquarters of the pro-government military leadership close to the strategic strait of Bab al-Mandab, killing more than 100 men of the coalition," said Shehab Al Makahleh, a political analyst and director of Geostrategic Media Middle East.

"The launch of a Tochka missile on a military base in southwest of Yemen by al-Mandab Strait aims to shift the political scene, which the coalition had been trying to achieve for more than eight months, which culminated in an expected cease-fire tonight before Geneva talks," he said.

The strike proves that the Houthi rebels in Yemen have improved intelligence capabilities, Makahleh added.

"Two other missiles were also launched yesterday and today on Jizan, which led the Saudis to send more troops to the borders with Yemen," he added.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was due to order his commanders to halt all fire five minutes before midnight on Monday, said officials in Hadi's office.

"We have agreed to the cease-fire to lift the suffering of our people and to deliver humanitarian assistance to them," Mohammed Abdel Salam, the spokesman of the Houthis, said Dec. 12 at a news conference in Sanaa as the Houthi delegation prepared to depart for Geneva.

The internationally recognized government has long requested the unconditional implementation of a UN Security Council resolution that requires the rebels to withdraw from all areas they control and lay down arms captured in months of fighting.

Abdel Salam said the Houthi delegation will discuss the resolution at the talks in Geneva, which were due to begin on Monday. But so far the Houthis have not said they would agree to its terms.

The Security Council approved the resolution in April, after the Saudi-led coalition began launching airstrikes in March against the Houthi rebels in support of Hadi's government.

Even with the approaching ceasefire, clashes intensified across several front lines in the country.

More than 27 fighters from both sides were killed in Taiz and Lahj provinces late on Friday and Saturday, while 16 pro-government fighters and 10 Houthi fighters were killed in Jawf province, according to independent security officials.

The Saudi-led coalition also continued to carry out airstrikes against Houthi positions, according to the officials.

152 Feared Dead in Yemen Ballistic Missle Strike

Woah!!! That's a really big blow!!! Has this news been confirmed by the coalition? What about the Saudi posters here on pdf?
Another question is if the war is feasible with the current oil prices, climate deal, terrorism challenge etc?

 

[CHI RULES]

One thing is for sure that no one should be happy with the blood shed whether a Saudi/Coalition soldier or Houti rebel dies it is same for me a loss of whole Muslim Umma. The differences should be settled through dialogue.
Considering the topic under discussion it looks that Houtis have upper hand and superior skills in Gorilla combat whether it is due to training given by Irani instructors or their own past experiences it is a big question mark.

However Coalition forces are ill trained and facing heavy losses due to some clear points.

1-Lack of training ( I have heard from Military sources that in case of KSA forces the officers get high ranks which belong to Royal family our sons of tribal elders.)
2. Lack of spirit is also evident as many coalition members do not have any direct conflict with Houtis.
3. Houtis are battle hardened and have past experiences with possible backing of Iran.
4. Coalitions inability implement naval barricade to supply of ammos.