Houthi Send Warning To Saudi Arabia With Large-Scale Drills (Video)
On March 22, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced that their armed forces had conducted large-scale drills, in an apparent warning to Saudi Arabia who led a military coalition into Yemen nearly eight years earlier.
The drills, dubbed “Withstanding the Aggression,” simulated an attack on several targets in a variety of terrains, including mountainous, desert-like and forested areas. All infantry units took part in the drills along with specialized forces, including anti-armor, engineering, air defense, drone and missile units.
During the drills, the Houthis’ defense ministry Major General Mohammad al-Atefi warned “the Saudi-led coalition of severe consequences if their military activities continue in Yemen’s regions.”
The group’s spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Sari, stressed that the large-scale drills were not the first and will not be the last.
“We are ready to confront and respond to any aggression against our country,” the spokesman said, adding that the drills were a message to the United States and Saudi Arabia to choose between peace or war.
The announcement of the drills came just a day after the Houthis said their air defenses shot down a combat drone of the Saudi-led coalition over the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf. It also coincided with increased attacks on Saudi-backed forces in the oil-rich central province of Marib.
The Houthis refrained from launching attacks on Saudi Arabia or any major ground offensive in Yemen after the end of a United Nations-brokered ceasefire last October.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, who recently reached agreement to restore relations, are now reportedly making efforts to push the Yemen peace process forward. The Houthis, who are allied to Tehran, appear to be extremely cautious about dealing with Riyadh.
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