Yemen: Nation’s Shield Forces Repel Houthi Attack on Al-Habqat Mountains in Lahj
The First Division of the Nation’s Shield Forces, led by Brigadier General Ali Al-Mahwali, repelled a Houthi attack on Wednesday targeting the Al-Habqat mountains on the Al-Sabiha front in Lahj governorate.
Military sources said that Houthi fighters launched a large-scale offensive at dawn against military positions in the mountains, in the Al-Barhana area north of Al-Mudaraba wa Ras Al-Ara district. The sources said the attackers used light, medium, and heavy weapons, as well as drones and mortars.
According to the sources, the First Division thwarted the assault with support from warplanes, which struck Houthi positions and destroyed troop transport vehicles and armoured vehicles, inflicting casualties on the attackers. Weapons and ammunition were also seized.
Heavy fighting continues on the Al-Mudaraba front, particularly in the Al-Nubayq and Al-Nuqayla areas in the northern part of the district. The sources said the Nation’s Shield Forces had advanced and captured several positions, inflicting heavy losses on the Houthis. The remaining fighters reportedly retreated towards the district’s outlying areas.
The military sources also denied Houthi claims of advances on this front, including assertions that their fighters had reached the district centre. They said the clashes remained confined to the district’s outskirts, where the attackers were suffering daily attrition and losing positions they had recently occupied.
Against this backdrop, Lahj Governor Murad Al-Halimi met with Ali Al-Dharafi, director-general of Al-Wazi’iyah district in Taiz governorate, and Ahmed Saeed, head of the district’s executive unit for managing displacement camps. Local dignitaries and Popular Resistance leaders also attended the meeting.
Discussions focused on several pressing humanitarian and security issues, particularly arrangements for residents of Al-Wazi’iyah displaced to Lahj governorate. Participants examined ways to provide humanitarian assistance, support their recovery, and alleviate the hardship caused by displacement.
The meeting also addressed efforts to reorganise the Popular Resistance in Al-Wazi’iyah, which borders Al-Mudaraba district, and to strengthen operational readiness and coordination. The stated aim was to enable the Popular Resistance to return, complete the recapture of the district and counter Houthi militias.
