Yemen official says ground forces needed to attack Houthis

Yemen's presidential council official said foreign support for ground forces was needed, in coordination with US and UK airstrikes on Houthi targets.

"An international and regional coalition is needed to ensure international maritime safety in the Red Sea," Aidarus al-Zubaidi, vice chairman of the Presidential Council based in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, said in an interview on January 18.

According to Mr. al-Zubaidi, the air campaign by the US and its allies was not enough to stop the Houthis from attacking shipping in the Red Sea. He also said that the Saudi-led military intervention in support of the internationally recognized government in Yemen in 2015 was not enough to stop the Houthis.

"The coalition needs a ground force of a legitimate government to attack on the ground. Only this force can win on the ground, because no matter how fierce the air strikes are without ground troops, it is useless," he said.

Aidarus al-Zubaidi, vice chairman of Yemen's Presidential Governance Council. Photo: AFP — Aidarus al-Zubaidi, vice chairman of Yemen's Presidential Governance Council. Photo: *AFP*

The Presidential Council, established in April 2022, is the executive body of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The council, which brings together anti-Houthi groups, has not yet responded to Zubaidi's comments.

Last month, warring parties in Yemen pledged a ceasefire and agreed to join a UN-led peace process aimed at ending the fighting.

Foreign military assistance should focus on intelligence sharing, capacity building, training and equipping ground forces, Zubaidi said.

"This approach allows reliable and effective Yemeni forces to join Western efforts in airstrikes against Houthi targets. We are discussing this with the US and UK. Lack of cooperation will only repeat the mistakes of past efforts," he stressed.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed force that controls large swathes of Yemen, began firing missiles at Israel and attacking ships in the Red Sea shortly after fighting in Gaza broke out last October.

The group said it was targeting Israeli-linked ships as part of an effort to force Tel Aviv to end its offensive on Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid to reach the strip. The Houthis then extended the threat to any commercial ships traveling to and from Israel along the vital trade route off the Yemeni coast.

The US and UK recently struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis responded by launching missiles and drones at ships linked to the US and Israel.

About 12% of global trade passes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the entrance to the Red Sea between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. The US on January 17 put the Houthis back on its “terrorist” list and launched a new attack on Houthi targets.

Hours after the US announced its decision, the Houthis claimed to have launched a missile at a US ship in the Gulf of Aden. US Central Command confirmed that the Genco Picardy, a US-owned and operated ship, was hit, but there were no casualties.

Huyen Le (According to AFP )

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