A 72 hour military operation in southern Najran Province of Saudi Arabia was carried out by Yemen’s Houthi movement with very little media coverage. Starting on early Thursday, a major operation raged, and by early Saturday the Houthis reported a major victory.
Three entire Saudi brigades in Najran were effectively wiped out. The reports suggest between 200 and 500 Saudi soldiers were killed, and thousands more captured. Saudi arms and armored vehicles were also taken in the fighting.
Offensives against the Saudis are rare, and usually much smaller. On Sunday, the Houthis released video footage related to the operation. They described the operation as involving a number of ambushes set up around the area, and luring the brigades into a trap.
The Houthis are bragging about this, and unsurprisingly so as this is a military victory like they haven’t seen in quite some time. The Saudis, interestingly, have not made any comments at all about the fight.
The Saudis weren’t alone in suffering this defeat, either. The Houthis reported that a number of Pakistanis, Iraqis, and Sudanese, who they labeled “mercenaries,” were also captured in the operation.
They also made mention of Yemenis who had been deluded into fighting on the Saudis’ side being among those captured. There has been no way to independently confirm exact numbers captured, or their origins.
The lack of comments from the Saudis speaks volumes, however, as they aren’t even trying to spin this at all. US officials quoted Saturday tried to present the loss as a sign of desperation by the Houthis, an attempt to push advancing Saudis away from the border.
Perhaps the most interesting fact that hasn’t been addressed is that this fight was going on since at least early Thursday, so when the Saudis announced they were joining a partial ceasefire on Friday (of which Najran was not a part), they did so in the middle of this huge battle.
Ah, the “Axis of Kindness”, a paper tiger if there ever was one…
https://www.globalresearch.ca/in-yemen-the-axis-of-kindness-shows-the-true-face-of-the-empire-and-proves-lenin-right/5440733
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Good. Saudi scum deserve everything they get.
It would be so nice if the brave Houthis, the underdogs initiate the demise of the evil Saud dynasty.
Saudis haven’t blamed Iran yet?
“The Trump administration and Riyadh say the attack did not come from Yemen and blame Iran, which has denied the allegation.”
It is sad. Where is this alliance when Saudis are getting trounced in Yemen.
With US, Canada, etc organizing a full scale ambush on Saudi Arabia — the full smorgasbord of human rights, women, arrests. executions, activists, etc. The only thing left out is gay rights.
What is going on? Saudi Arabia has in the period between April 2014 to June 2017 committed worst atrocities against Yemen. Everything after that was sporadic.
The man in charge, the antiterrorism hero decorated by CIA George Tenet medal. He destroyed Yemeni civilian infrastructure and hit airports, ports, hospitals, clinics, irrigation system, grain storage, etc. He also was an architect of ISIS, caliphate pompously declared in July 2014. All the financing and religious underpinnings from Saudi Arabia. This is what brought Russia into the fray to prevent ISIS move on Damascus. Russia entered September 2015. The hunger was mostly felt in cities as blockade by mostly US navy stopped food imports, and there are no airports. Also, cities suffer from water supply and contaminated water caused cholera.
Now, the clever Mr. Tenet Medal, Mohammed bin Nayef — had a good plan. He started to blame — the King. And also his son, then Minister of Defense. He spread rumors that King is demented, made him do it! Or his son is evil — while everybody knows that King does not do day to day governance, and his son was without authority. But the plan was there — get King out, blame his son for Yemen — and get MBN quicker to the throne.
King managed to get clans on his side, oust MBN, and promote his young son.
The man like MBN, heavily promoted by US — being removed? Succeeded by King’s son who is not subject to blackmail or extortion as he did not study abroad.
From day ONE, he was target. King went to Russia for first ever Saudi King visit with 2000 strong delegation. Then comes Kashoggi days before MBS big investment conference.
Now, Saudis are dragging feet and not cooperating on Iran. Then there are disasters after disasters.
Now, wolf pack at UN attacks with fangs out — please do not tell me that it is human rights they really care about. They want UN investigation of Kashoggi!
The real question is — WHAT HAS SAUDI ARABIA DONE — OR DID NOT DO to warrant this offensive?
Interesting to no end — Turkey releases NEW piece of taped conversation — the one that announces that “sacrificial lamb has arrived”. Which suggests —Turkey has more.
Gena Haskel went to Turkey to listen to the tape. Who translated?
If Turkey has more — what if there is something incriminating against CIA? Why is there complete silence on investigation that came out from the assassins? Considering who was ousted — and his connections — it would make sense for him to be restored to power, but it can be done only if MBS is beset by huge problems.
But Kashoggi murder is hanging over a guilty party (somebody more important then bunch of assassins). And if it is NOT MBS — who would benefit from frying to topple MBS.
Now — it is full blast ahead. Like sabotage in Jeddah. Murder of King’s bodyguard.
It is one of the two things — either MBS is being leaned on heavily to do what he does not want to do, OR he is about to do something VERY undesirable— we are already in enemy mode with KSA.
the Saudis have got to be wondering why they bother with DC at this point; they buy US weapons and US bonds yet the US fails to hold up its side of the petrodollar bargain to defend the interests of the KSA. especially when the US is now a major competitor in oil production
Its my bet Kashoggi was the bag man for the Saudi princes lead by MBN to pay AQ forces in Syria and the intelligence community lead by CIA. You saw reaction in DC to his murder, IC guys freaked out and demanded something be done and Trump just shrugged.
Brexit and what happens in the Kingdom will be trouble for the US hegemony in future.
“Saudi Arabia has in the period between April 2014 to June 2017 committed worst atrocities against Yemen. Everything after that was sporadic.”
No, it’s been pretty much continuously terrible. The attacks on Hodeida are since, trying to impose a starvation regime. In fact, the attacks were started back in 2015 by MBS and the US tried to talk them out of it, but supported them to “make up” for the Iran deal.
MBS is the “target,” to the extent that he is, because he’s an incompetent local satrap for the empire. They prefer people like the previous king Abdullah, competent local satraps that carry out instructions with minimum fuss, not bloody incompetent and somewhat independent ones that create bigger problems.
Go, Team Houthi. Sock it to Saudi Barbaria.
“The Trump administration” the attackers where Iranians, disguised as Yemenis.
Totally unfair of these men to fight back, eh MBS?
Good news.
Why does Saudi Arab get into self destructive situations ? Is any country blackmailing Saudi ?
Saudi can’t be that stupid . It knows it’s power and limits of its strengths .
Only a moral and political vulnerable situation can explain Saudi behaviors .
Saudi is reaching out to Iran ( still exhibiting bravado while same time asking for lessening of tension ) .
Saudi might be ready it seems to get out of the USA orbit because the orbit has not done anything for Saudi other than selling arms and supporting it’s clear overt nasty behaviors which don’t earn goodwill anywhere in the world ( actually making Saudi more vulnerable)
Still an excellent news .
MBS may be feeling pressure from the CIA and Massad to wage war against Yemen. Furthermore, MSB may be feeling domestic pressure after the way he took power. Often when a leader has domestic troubles he uses foreign intervention to distract the people.
Please don’t engage in ridiculous excuse making. No what the ignorant and maniacal overlords feel is the high of ordering others to go kill and flag waving and all the money they have to waste on murder and the base stupid words they will read from their speech writers.
How is what I said excuse making?
Please excuse don because she may be malnourish and is crying for attention.
Good!
The Saudis make the Italians during WWII look like the frigging Spartans.
F**king beautiful, is all I can say. Just f**king beautiful.
The best possible outcome in the situation, maybe.
But if you’d ever seen blood and hair stuck to the inside of a trench, or smelled the odor of barbecue coming out of a burnt-out tank, I doubt you’d find beauty in it.
Maybe not. But I imagine that same experience is very different for a people defending their lives and their freedom than it is for a Marine ransacking a former client state. Just a guess.
I’ve talked to many people who fought on many sides of various wars. Not many of them reminisce fondly about washing human brains off their boots or escorting a POW who was holding his guts in with his hands back to a holding area.
Like Sherman said, war is all hell. There may be joy in victory, but there’s not much beauty in the detailed making of it.
Yet they eat meat, eggs and milk 3 time a day and think that is happiness? Kill animals and think that is happiness? Post a smiling picture with a murdered animal?
There are plenty of brain washed murderers in the military. Your bias is from talking to people with conscioussness, you don’t hear from the murderers who are content with their actions but I do they are people like John McCain, and plenty of other politicians who murder for personal pleasure and a 20 year retirement.
OK, so you have an opinion as to what my bias is from. What’s your bias from?
I’ve been a vegetarian since 1978 and I find your comparing the killing of animals to the killing of humans to be a bit over the top.
This is the first time I am reading about this. Amazing how the media has hushed this.
Well the Saudis can sue for peace, and I would say reparations should be on the table.