Yemeni Armed Forces Announce Full Control over Bayda Province

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A spokesman with the Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Thursday that the strategic province of al-Bayda has been fully liberated.

Army soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees liberated Sawma'ah and Maswarah district as well as large parts of Mukayras district during Operation Dawn of Freedom, military spokesman General Yahya Saree said at a press conference in capital Sana’a on Thursday evening.

The operation primarily targeted the remnants of al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist groups which are cooperating with the Saudi-led forces.

“During military advances of our forces to eliminate Takfiri elements, Saudi-led warplanes conducted more than 30 air raids to support the extremists and to prevent the advance of our troops. Our missile and drone units launched 10 operations against enemy positions. Al-Bayda province was completely liberated as a result of the operation,” Saree said, PressTV reported.

“A total of 70 Takfiri elements and Saudi mercenaries were killed, 150 others wounded and another 40 captured during Operation Dawn of Freedom. Ten armored vehicles were destroyed, and Yemeni armed forces seized large amounts of munitions. Our forces also took control of seven training camps run by Takfiri terrorists, and a number of Yemeni citizens who had been taken hostage by Saudi-backed militants.”

Saree said local authorities and security forces have taken measures to maintain security and stability across Bayda province, stressing that local tribes, tribal elders, distinguished figures and locals greatly contributed to the success of Operation Dawn of Freedom as part of their religious and national duties.

Saudi Arabia, backed by the US and regional allies, launched a war on Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crushing popular Ansarullah resistance movement.

The war has left hundreds of thousands of Yemenis dead, and displaced millions more. It has also destroyed Yemen’s infrastructure and spread famine and infectious diseases.

Yemeni armed forces and allied Popular Committees, however, have grown steadily in strength against the Saudi-led invaders, and left Riyadh and its allies bogged down in the country.