Yemen: Clashes Renewed In Dhale, Lahij

Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Ansar Allah movement’s Political Bureau, emphasized that the Ansar Allah movement is not currently seeking to escalate tensions with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or their mercenaries. He referred to the recent clashes in the southern fronts and stated that the escalation of tensions in Al-Dhale Governorate as well as the Al-Krash region in Lahij Governorate is due to the pressures from the United States (on forces of the resigned Yemeni government).

In recent days, the resigned Yemeni government forces, especially the Southern Transitional Council (STC) militants, have created tensions in the Al-Fakher front in Al-Dhale Governorate as well as the Al-Krash axis in the northern part of Lahij Governorate in southern Yemen, resulting in casualties on both sides. The attacks by the STC militants provoked the Ansar Allah movement to the extent that Yemeni army drone units entered the conflict zone, and in an attack with a drone or helicopter, they targeted a gathering of STC forces in the Al-Fakhir front, leading to the killing of three militants of the Southern Transitional Council.

The Ansar Allah movement had previously shown in words and actions that due to military operations in support of Palestine against the Israeli regime, the movement had exercised restraint in major tensions and ceasefire violations by Saudi-led coalition forces and had avoided retaliating against most of their attacks. However, the recent attacks by the STC militants on the Al-Fakher and Al-Krash fronts were considered a flagrant violation of the ceasefire with the Saudi-led coalition, requiring proportional responses by the Ansar Allah fighters.

The volume of casualties among STC militants in these clashes has led to criticism by leaders of the Southern Transitional Council and increased threats from the resigned government leaders against the Ansar Allah movement.  Undoubtedly, these pressures are being carried out under the command of the US and the UK, and in the coming days, the likelihood of further ground conflicts in Yemen will increase. In recent weeks, the possibility of expanding ground clashes and attacking the western coast of Yemen with the support of the Western powers had been raised; however, the British army announced that they would not participate in ground operations in Yemen.