Weekly report on Marib fronts, Feb 23 to March 2 (Map Update)

In the third week of Ansar Allah operations in Marib province, Ansar Allah advances on the western front on the outskirts of Marib Dam have stalled and clashes intensified in the province’s southern districts.

Important news of the Yemeni war in recent weeks include the implementation of the “Fifth Deterrence Balance” operation against the positions of Saudi coalition in Saudi Arabia, Ansar Allah officials meeting with leaders of al-Jawf tribes and other provinces, calling of al-Qaeda commanders to confront Ansar Allah in Marib and the killing of several prominent field commanders of the Hadi forces in the battles of eastern Sarwah.

Eastern front of Sarwah:
Despite heavy clashes between Ansar Allah and the Saudi-led forces on the eastern front of Sarwah, the lines of conflict have not changed much and only the liberation of al-Zour and al-Hamajira has been stabilized by Ansar Allah. Clashes are currently ongoing in the suburbs of the dam up to Tala’at al-Hamra.
Al-Balaq mountain is under control of the Saudi-led forces, and Ansar Allah tried to capture it on February 26, which was unsuccessful with heavy airstrikes by the Saudi coalition and the invasion of coalition forces with help of al-Qaeda and ISIS militants on the Tala’at al-Hamra front. Therefore, the news of Ansar Allah heavy casualties in order to maintain al-Balaq mountain or control these heights until March 1, is not true.

Raghwan and Madghal front:
Most of clashes on this front is sporadic and Ansar Allah has not launched a serious attack to liberate the town of Asdas and the western front of the district.
Heavy attacks by the Saudi-led forces in the al-Jadafar area in al-Jawf province has led to the delay of Ansar Allah’s advance on the outskirts of Asdas.

The interval created after the liberation of the Madghal district (August 31, 2020) and the Mass base (November 20, 2020) until the recent Ansar Allah operation (February 7, 2021) provided the opportunity for the Saudi coalition to establish a defense line west of Marib. And prevented the domino fall of the regions, as Ansar Allah’s previous operations in Sanaa, al-Jawf, al-Dhale, etc.
Of course, these time intervals should not be considered the weakness of Ansar Allah’s command, but Ansar Allah’s difficult conditions for providing weapons for new military operations and convincing the local tribes to peace are among the reasons for this issue.

As we mentioned in the previous articles, Ansar Allah can break the Saudi-led forces defense line by activating the southern fronts, Raghwan as well as moving in the eastern direction of the Marib Dam and even cutting off the southern Marib road.

Southern front:
Ansar Allah intensified its activities in the Jabal Murad and al-Juba districts since February 28, and according to coalition sources, Ansar Allah operations in this area will be imminent.

During the third week of operations in Marib, Ansar Allah carried out 16 drone and missile operations against the positions of Saudi coalition, the details of which are as follows:
UAV attacks: 3 times Khamis Mushait, 1 time Abha airport.
Missile attacks: 9 times in Marib, 2 times in the south of Saudi Arabia.
Also, during the “Fifth Deterrence Balance” operation, according to the Saudi coalition, 4 missiles attacked Riyadh, 4 UAVs attacked Khamis Mushait, and 2 UAVs attacked Najran and Jizan. However, Brigadier General Yahya al-Sari’, a spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said that one Zulfaqar missile and 15 UAVs used during the operation.

Saudi coalition warplanes have also bombed Sarwah 56 times, Majzar 5 times, Madghal 7 times, Jabal Murad and al-Jubah 5 times and Maheliyah 2 times in Marib province and 2 times Khab al-Shaaf district in al-Jawf province this week.