The Yemeni army said it has taken full control of Mokha, a port city southwest of the capital Sanaa which had been taken by Houthi rebels in November 2014.

Brigade General Ahmed Seif al-Yafai said in press remarks on Monday that his forces entered Mokha, where dozens of families were seen fleeing days of clashes and bombardment.

Government forces were combing the port, an AFP news agency journalist accompanying the troops said.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war nearly two years ago to back President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was overthrown from the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces.

READ MORE: Yemen's orphans face 'catastrophe' as fighting rages

The latest development came almost three weeks after the Hadi loyalists launched an offensive against the rebels and their allies on Yemen's southwestern coast.

Warplanes and Apache attack helicopters from a Saudi-led Arab coalition have been pounding the rebels in support of pro-Hadi forces, military sources told AFP.

'Weapons smuggling'

Government forces said the rebels were using the port in Mokha to smuggle weapons into Yemen.

At least 10,000 people have died in the mostly stalemated Yemeni conflict, which has unleashed a humanitarian crisis in the already poor Arabian Peninsula country.

While government forces in the south and east nominally hold most of Yemen's territory, Hadi has struggled to enforce state authority among various armed groups and tribes.

The Houthi rebels control most of Yemen's population centres in the northwest, including Sanaa.

Gulf Arab countries say the Houthi rebels are a proxy for their archrival Iran - a charge Tehran denies.

They and Hadi's government say their campaign aims to protect the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the strategic waterway at the foot of the Red Sea through which nearly four million barrels of oil are shipped daily to Europe, the US and Asia.</s>Yemeni government forces captured on Monday the port of Mokha as they pushed to oust Houthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline, an AFP journalist said.

Government forces were combing the port, a journalist accompanying the troops said, almost three weeks after the loyalists launched an offensive against the Shiite insurgents and their allies on Yemen’s southwestern coast.

An official statement said government forces recaptured the whole city, but a military commander in the field told AFP that loyalists were still fighting the rebels on the southern outskirts of Mokha.

Forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi launched a vast offensive on Jan. 7 to retake the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Warplanes and Apache attack helicopters from a Saudi-led Arab coalition have been pounding the rebels in support of pro-Hadi forces, military sources said.

The rebel’s media arm claimed, however, that insurgent fighters repelled loyalist troops as they advanced on the village of Jadid, some 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Mokha.

More than 150 fighters from both sides have been killed in the battle for the coastline since the government offensive was launched on Jan. 7.

Houthis have controlled Mokha since they overran the capital Sanaa in September 2014 and advanced on other regions aided by troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 as insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden and forced him to seek exile in Riyadh.

Loyalists have since drove rebels out of five southern provinces, including Aden.

But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands, as well most of the 450-km (280-mile) Red Sea coast.

United Nations peace envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed visited Sanaa on Sunday for talks and to push a peace plan that would restore a cease-fire and lead to a political transition in the country.

The plan would lead to a political transition under which Hadi’s powers would be significantly reduced.

Seven cease-fires brokered by the United Nations have failed and U.N.-backed peace talks have repeatedly broken down.

The World Health Organization says that more than 7,400 people have been killed since the coalition intervention began.

A U.N. spokesman has said the civilian death toll alone could top 10,000.</s>Yemeni loyalist forces patrol a highway near the Red Sea port town of Mocha on January 20, 2017.

Mocha: Yemeni government forces captured on Monday the key port of Mocha as they pushed to oust Iran-backed Al Houthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline, an AFP journalist said.

The Iran-backed rebels have received weapons shipments from Iran through this port and liberating it delivers a major blow to the militants.

Government forces were combing the port, a journalist accompanying the troops said, almost three weeks after Yemeni forces launched an offensive against the rebels and their allies on Yemen’s southwestern coast.

An official statement said government forces recaptured the whole city, but a military commander in the field told AFP that the army was still fighting the rebels on the southern outskirts of Mocha.

Mocha has long been famous for its seaport where the country’s internationally-renowned coffee is shipped from.

Yemeni forces fighting in support of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the internationally-recognised president, launched a vast offensive on January 7 to retake the Dhobab district overlooking the Bab Al Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters from a Saudi-led Arab coalition have been pounding the rebels in support of pro-Hadi forces, military sources said.

Al Houthis have controlled Mocha since they overran the capital in September 2014 and advanced on other regions aided by troops loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 as insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden and forced him to seek exile in Riyadh.

Yemeni forces have since drove rebels out of five southern provinces, including Aden.

The militants have endured heavy losses since Operation Golden Arrow was launched two weeks ago, aimed at liberating the entire Taiz province and cutting off Al Houthis’ arms supplies.

On the political front, UN special envoy to Yemen, Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad, arrived in the Yemeni capital on Sunday to push for a new round of peace talks between the internationally-recognised government and the rebels.

Ould Shaikh Ahmad is expected to meet with senior leaders in the Al Houthi delegation as well as Saleh’s party.

Last week, he briefly visited the port city of Aden where he suggested a new roadmap to Hadi and his government.

Under the new plan, Hadi would retain his powers as president until Al Houthis fully withdraw from occupied territory and disarm.</s>Yemeni government forces captured on Monday the port of Mokha as they pushed to oust Houthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline, an AFP journalist said.

Government forces were combing the port, a journalist accompanying the troops said, almost three weeks after the loyalists launched an offensive against the Houthi rebels and their allies on Yemen’s southwestern coast.

 Original Article</s>Al Mukalla: Yemen government forces and allied resistance fighters on Sunday retook control of most areas on the outskirts of Mocha, a key Red Sea port town that is under Al Houthi militant control.

The Iran-backed rebels have received weapons shipments from Iran through this port and liberating it will deliver a major blow to the militants.

Yemeni forces are currently battling the rebels on the edges of the strategic town, army commanders and government officials said.

Al Houthis have suffered heavy setbacks along the country’s western coast since January when the government forces gained control of major regions on the Red Sea, denying the rebel movement from using these areas for smuggling arms into the country.

Yemen army spokesperson, Abdo Majili, told Gulf News on Sunday that government forces stormed a small area called Abu Razeq before advancing further towards Mocha.

“Government forces have cautiously targeted Al Houthi military sites in the town to avoid hitting civilians. This is an inhabitant area and the civilians would be harmed if we bombarded it heavily.”

Mocha has long been famous for its seaport where the country’s internationally-renowned coffee is shipped from.

The government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has accused the rebels of using the seaport to ship in their Iran-sourced weapons.

Army commanders expect tough battles inside the town as rebels have infiltrated residential areas, making it harder to easily target them.

For more than two weeks, government forces along with a number of military advisers from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have battled Al Houthis and renegade army units loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

To slow the government forces’ advances, retreating Al Houthi militants have left behind thousands of landmines, army commanders told Gulf News on Saturday.

The militants have endured heavy losses since Operation Golden Arrow was launched two weeks ago, aimed at liberating the entire Taiz province and cutting off Al Houthis’ arms supplies.

Even as the rebels are virtually on their last legs, Al Houthi media claimed that the leader of the militia’s political council, Saleh Al Samad, had recently met with tribal leaders in Mocha securing a pledge from them to help them fight against government forces.

Meanwhile, UN special envoy to Yemen, Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad, arrived in the Yemeni capital on Sunday to push for a new round of peace talks between the internationally-recognised government and the rebels.

Ould Shaikh Ahmad is expected to meet with senior leaders in the Al Houthi dispensation as well as Saleh’s party. Last week, he briefly visited the port city of Aden where he suggested a new roadmap to Hadi and his government.

Under the new plan, Hadi would retain his powers as president until Al Houthis fully withdraw from occupied territory and disarm.</s>ADEN — Yemeni army forces backed by Gulf Arabs fought their way into the Red Sea coast city of Al-Mokha on Monday, military officials said, pushing out Iran-allied Houthi militia.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war nearly two years ago to back President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces.

The National Army loyal to Hadi entered the port area on Mokha’s southwestern edge, an army official said.

“Houthi forces began withdrawing this morning, and the city is nearly abandoned after most of its residents departed,” the official said.

“The city and the port under the control of national army.”

Army forces and a group of militias called the Southern Resistance launched an offensive on the Red Sea coast this month to deprive the Houthis of ports and to isolate them in the inland capital.

The smaller coastal town of Al-Dhubab has been recaptured in the thrust, which has been backed by scores of air strikes and a small contingent of troops and tanks.

Coalition forces and Hadi’s government say their campaign aims to protect the Bab Al-Mandeb strait, the strategic waterway at the foot of the Red Sea through which nearly 4 million barrels of oil are shipped daily to Europe, the United States and Asia.</s>Forces allied with the internationally-recognized government of Yemen seized control of a strategic Red Sea port on Monday after waging an assault against Shiite rebels, a top military commander said.



Brig. Gen. Ahmed Seif al-Yafai said in press remarks that his forces have entered the city of Mokha, where dozens of families were seen fleeing days of clashes and bombardment. Dozens of fighters were killed as the bodies of the slain men littered streets and sidewalks, witnesses said.



Mokha, one of Yemen's oldest ports, is seen as a weapons lifeline to the rebels and their allies — who control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the northern region.



A Saudi-led military coalition is backing the government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and seeking to restore him to power.



The assault on Mokha aims at securing the entire western coastline including the ports of Hodeida and al-Saleef — which the northern region depends on for imports of basic food necessities and which the coalition also believes are main transit points for weapons coming from Iran.



Six Yemeni soldiers were killed late Monday when Saudi-led coalition warplanes mistakenly bombed a site in south-western Yemen, according to a local military source.



The strike targeted a mountainous area in Kahboub district near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, the source said. "Two soldiers were also injured in the attack," the source added anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to media.



The source attributed the erroneous airstrike to "lack of coordination" between government forces and the Saudi-led coalition. There was no comment from the coalition on the attack.



More than 150 fighters from both sides have been killed in the battle for the coastline since the government offensive was launched on January 7.



Houthis have controlled Mokha since they overran the capital Sanaa in September 2014 and advanced on other regions aided by troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.



The coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 as insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden and forced him to seek exile in Riyadh. Loyalists have since drove rebels out of five southern provinces, including Aden.



Yemen has been wracked by chaos since late 2014, when Houthi rebels and their allies overran the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country. The conflict escalated in mid-2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a major air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen's embattled Saudi-backed government.



Two rounds of UN-backed peace talks have failed to resolve the conflict in which thousands of Yemenis are believed to have been killed and an estimated three million forced to flee their homes.</s>Yemeni army forces backed by Gulf Arabs fought their way into the Red Sea coast city of al-Mokha on Monday, military officials said, pushing out Iran-allied Houthi militia.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war nearly two years ago to back President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces.

The so-called National Army loyal to Hadi entered the port area on Mokha's southwestern edge, an army official said.

"Houthi forces began withdrawing this morning, and the city is nearly abandoned after most of its residents departed," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The city and the port under the control of national army."

A spokesman for rival army forces fighting for the Houthis could not be immediately reached for comment.

At least 10,000 people have died in the mostly stalemated Yemeni conflict, which has unleashed a humanitarian crisis in the already desperately poor Arabian Peninsula country.

While government forces in the south and east nominally hold most of Yemen's territory, Hadi has struggled to enforce state authority among various militias, militants and tribes. The Houthis control most of Yemen's population centers in the northwest including Sanaa.

Army forces and a group of militias called the Southern Resistance launched an offensive on the Red Sea coast this month to deprive the Houthis of ports and to isolate them in the inland capital.

The smaller coastal town of al-Dhubab has been recaptured in the thrust, which has been backed by scores of air strikes and a small contingent of troops and tanks from the United Arab Emirates.

Gulf Arab countries are concerned the Houthis are a proxy for their arch-rival Iran - a charge Tehran denies.

They and Hadi's government say their campaign aims to protect the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the strategic waterway at the foot of the Red Sea through which nearly 4 million barrels of oil are shipped daily to Europe, the United States and Asia.</s>Al Mukalla: Yemen government forces backed by heavy air cover from the Saudi-led coalition on Monday took control of the strategic port town of Mocha on the Red Sea after heavy clashes with Al Houthis, two army generals told Gulf News.

Major Mohsen Khasrouf, the chief of Yemen’s Armed Forces Moral Guidance Department, confirmed via telephone interview that government forces stormed the town of Mocha and its strategic seaport from different directions on Monday afternoon and were later combing residential areas looking for hiding militants.

“This is a major milestone in our fighting towards restoring the state from the putschists,” he said. Brigadier General Abdo Majili, Yemen army spokesperson, also confirmed the news.

The current military operation along the western coast kicked off on January 6 when hundreds of army troops and allied resistance fighters marched from the port city of Aden towards strategic coastal regions on the Red Sea.

Al Houthi rebels were unable to stem the advance despite having planted thousands of landmines as they retreated.

The state-run Saba news agency said the deputy of chief staff of Yemen army Major General Ahmad Sayef Al Yafae rang internationally-recognised president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi to inform him about the liberation of Mocha.

Commenting about the military significance of the army’s victories on the Red Sea, Khasrouf, who is also a veteran military expert, said rebel forces have lost control of the area where they received weapons shipments from Iran.

“They use some of these weapons in their battles in the city of Taiz. Now, the army can use the same seaport to funnel arms the resistance fighters in the Al Houthi-besieged city,” Khasrouf said.

Yemen forces backed by Saudi-led coalition forces began their offensive, labelled Operation Golden Arrow, two weeks ago, with the aim of liberating the entire Taiz province.

The next phase of the operation focuses on two parallel tracks which would see them march on the city of Hodeida as well as the besieged city of Taiz.

Recent territorial gains by Yemeni forces are primarily due to significant support from the Saudi-led coalition which has supplied them modern weapons as well as advised them on battlefield tactics.</s>MOKHA, Yemen: Yemeni government forces captured on Monday the port of Mokha as they pushed to oust Huthi rebels from the Red Sea coastline, an AFP journalist said.

Government forces were combing the port, a journalist accompanying the troops said, almost three weeks after the loyalists launched an offensive against the insurgents and their allies on Yemen’s southwestern coast. An official statement said government forces recaptured the whole city, but a military commander in the field told AFP that loyalists were still fighting the rebels on the southern outskirts of Mokha.

Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi launched a vast offensive on January 7 to retake the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Warplanes and Apache attack helicopters from a Saudi-led Arab coalition have been pounding the rebels in support of pro-Hadi forces, military sources said. The rebel’s media arm claimed however that insurgent fighters repelled loyalist troops as they advanced on the village of Jadid, some 10 kilometres south of Mokha.

More than 150 fighters from both sides have been killed in the battle for the coastline since the government offensive was launched on January 7. Huthis have controlled Mokha since they overran the capital Sanaa in September 2014 and advanced on other regions aided by troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 as insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden and forced him to seek exile in Riyadh. Loyalists have since drove rebels out of five southern provinces, including Aden. But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands, as well most of the 450-kilometre Red Sea coast.

Yemeni loyalists seize Red Sea port of Mokha was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 24, 2017 and was last updated on January 24, 2017. This news story is related to Print/181373-Yemeni-loyalists-seize-Red-Sea-port-of-Mokha/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Yemeni loyalists seize Red Sea port of Mokha" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/181373-Yemeni-loyalists-seize-Red-Sea-port-of-Mokha.
The Yemeni Army claims to have recaptured the port city of Mocha from Houthi rebels.