Forces loyal to exiled Yemeni president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, in fierce offensive to take al-Anad base back from Houthi rebels

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Loyalist forces have begun a major offensive aimed at retaking Yemen’s largest airbase, as troops from the Saudi-led coalition entered the recaptured city of Aden.

The pro-government troops deployed heavy armour supplied by their backers in the assault on al-Anad base, which is held by rebels, some 35 miles north of Aden.

“The battle to retake al-Anad base has begun,” a military source said.

Hundreds of troops and militia equipped with tanks and armoured vehicles supplied by the coalition deployed around the base before Monday’s attack, their commander Fadhl Hassan said.

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Another source said Saudi-led warplanes were providing air cover for the loyalist forces, who launched the offensive from a mountainous region west of the base.

Al-Anad, in southern Lahj province, housed US troops overseeing a drone war against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula until shortly before Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels overran it in March.

An officer taking part in the offensive said the troops had reached the western entrance of al-Anad by mid-afternoon on Monday.

But the officer, who asked not to be named, said an attempt to break into the base from the south failed and loyalist forces met stiff resistance from the rebels.

Fierce fighting was under way outside the base and several people had been killed on both sides, he said.

Another officer said that coalition warplanes helped loyalists on the ground by launching new raids, destroying two rebel tanks and four vehicles and killing those inside.

Retaking al-Anad would help bolster security in Aden, whose liberation the government of the exiled Yemeni president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, announced in mid-July.

It would also open the way to loyalist forces to push further north against the Houthi rebels, who have enjoyed strong support on the ground from fighters close to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.