Alwaght- More than a week after Marib fighting, Saudi-led coalition forces not only have failed to achieve any breakthrough, but also reports suggest a loss of morale among coalition forces and crippling damage on those forces in the central province of Yemen as result of heroic resistance of Ansarullah forces.
Local sources reported late that over the past week, a wave of militant tribes have joined the Yemeni army forces and Ansarullah forces have attacked the positions of Saudi-led coalition forces in province of Marib located in central Yemen. Haykal Bafana, a Yemeni analyst from Sanaa, referring to the news wrote that "extremely bad events are under way for the troops of Saudi Arabia and the United Arabic Emirates, this third axis is mainly comprised of furious Sunni tribal militias." According to Haykal Bafana, these Yemeni tribes were used to support Saudi Arabia; however, over the last few days, they suddenly made a U-turn and now are fighting against the forces of Saudi Arabia." It is said that they suddenly made the U-turn as Saudi fighters mistakenly targeted their positions and troops in Harab zone, located 80 kilometers south of Marib. Field commander of Saudi-led coalition told the Associated Press that after the Saudi warplanes mistakenly struck the allied forces, the military forces are increasingly furious. A pro-Hadi commander told the Associated Press: "the real problem which is proving an obstacle to any advances, is the fear of attacks launched by coalition aircrafts which mistakenly hit friendly targets."
Marib is located in the western center of Yemen which is 165 kilometers away from Sanaa, which also borders with Saudi Arabia and many of the tribes in the region have been allied with Saudi Arabia for decades. Over the past few weeks, United Arabic Emirates and Saudi Arabia have extensively deployed many troops and equipment in Marib. It is said that nearly 80 percent of the Marib governorate which is mostly desert is under the control of pro-Saudi forces and the remaining 20 percent is under the control of Yemeni army and Ansarullah forces.
However, the problems of Saudi Arabia is not merely limited to U-turn of Yemeni tribes against Saudi Arabia in Marib. The US media reports suggest that Ansarullah forces strongly resist Saudi forces and the coalition forces are suffering a loss of morale. Associated Press reported from Sanaa that despair among military forces who advocate Mansour Hadi, the Yemeni president in exile, has been increasingly rising after a week without any remarkable achievement. The report went on saying that despite the heavy and brutal bombardment against the rebels’ positions (Ansarullah), the advances of pro-Hadi forces towards the capital has reached a deadlocked as a result of strong resistance of Houthi rebels.
It seems that the lack of experience among the commanders and coalition forces has been another factor that accelerates the failure of Saudi-led coalition forces in Marib. According to the Associated Press, the commanders of Yemeni army (pro-Hadi) are unhappy with the weak logistics coordination, slow communications and decision-making between the front lines of Marib and military headquarters in Riyadh. Sharif Hussein, one of pro-Hadi senior commanders said, coordination between groups fighting against the Houthi forces is weak, although there is a single decision making, they act independently on the battle field.
In addition, one of the main challenges facing coalition forces is the impassable mountain terrains, a deterrent factor that caused the Roman Empire in 43 BC and Saudi Arabia in 1934 to fail in their attacks on Sanaa. In addition, Houthi forces are quite familiar with the area and have a long history of guerrilla warfare in the area. According to reports, Ansarullah fighters and their allies have worked hard in recent months to turn this area into a graveyard for the invading forces. Security sources and Yemeni independent tribes have told the Associated Press that in these areas, the Ansarullah have built defenses, have laid a large number of mines, and recently they have been digging tunnels. On the other hand, it was recently reported that chief commander of pro-Hadi army was seriously injured in an ambush of Yemeni forces in Marib, and he is now transferred to Saudi Arabia for treatment;
however, five bodyguards were killed. Despite much publicity about the early achievements of the Saudis in their battle against the Yemenis, but after more than a week, the coalition forces have so far failed to achieve any remarkable breakthrough and this, according to media reports, has frustrated the coalition forces and has made way for their defeat in this operation. Ahmed Salam, a pro-Hadi officer told the Associated Press if the situation continues like this on the front lines, it would be impossible to achieve any breakthrough on the ground. Meanwhile, the media reported that in the wake of these developments, Mansour Hadi has made contact with the governor of Marib and a local commander to discuss field developments. Yemeni media reported earlier that Mansour Hadi has met Mohammed bin Salman, the defense minister of Saudi Arabia, the command of the Yemen war, and has discussed the problems in Marib battle.
