The counteroffensive reflects the growing military power of Yemen’s armed forces as details emerge of Saudi-led forces fleeing back across the border with heavy casualties inflicted and their military vehicles left burning on Yemeni soil.
Yemen’s military media has published footage documenting the losses of the forces belonging to the Saudi-led coalition in the battle of Harad; a Yemeni city in the strategic province of Hajjah that borders Saudi Arabia as well as the Red Sea.
The scenes show the Yemeni armed forces repelling a major offensive by the Saudi-led coalition in Harad after Yemen carried out a counter operation to liberate and retake control of large districts in the city.
According to Yemeni media, the Saudi-led incursion took at least two main paths with the participation of Saudi Arabian brigades and army forces as well as Sudanese militants. The first came southeast of the city towards the al-Hayjah mountain range, and the second south of the city also towards the al-Hayjah mountain range, with the aim of occupying the city from several directions.
Footage from Yemen’s military media shows the Yemeni army and the popular committees were able to confront the Saudi-led forces and inflict heavy losses on both lives and military equipment.
According to Yemeni media, various military units of Yemen’s armed forces participated in the battle. The Saudi-led coalition enjoyed a wide array of air cover including advanced American-made warplanes, spy planes; with plenty of firepowers as well as artillery fire.
Yemen’s own missile and Air Force launched“precision operations” targeting the gatherings and camps of the Saudi-led coalition and its communication networks with ballistic missiles and drones which the Yemeni army says inflicted great losses on the Saudi military.
According to the Yemeni army, an artillery unit managed to double the Saudi-led material and human losses, with continuous and accurate targeting of the coalition’s gatherings and fortifications on Yemeni territory.
The footage released shows the Yemeni army destroying a large number of Saudi armored vehicles, which were forced to retreat back to the Kingdom.
The scenes also indicate that the Yemeni army and the people's committees successfully launched the counter operation to break the siege on Harad city and advance from the "Al-Husnain region and southeast Harad" to restore the districts and villages.
The footage also shows a number of dead bodies from the Saudi-led coalition, prisoners falling into the hands of Yemeni forces; and a mass escape of soldiers, militants, and armored vehicles while under attack by the Yemeni army. The footage also shows, what Yemeni reports say, is a part of what the army seized from the Saudi-led coalition including various vehicles, weapons, and ammunition.
Yemeni media say the losses of the Saudi-led coalition amounted to more than 580 dead and wounded, including more than 200 deaths. The fatalities and injured are said to include members of the Saudi Arabian army as well as Sudanese militants.
More than “40 military vehicles and armored vehicles, including a communications vehicle and minesweeper”, were destroyed, burned, and “more than 60 Katyusha missiles were destroyed, a CH4 spy plane, a small spy plane, and seven heavy and medium weapons were damaged and destroyed”, the army said.
The scenes show the army and committees were able to target Saudi soldiers, pursuing their vehicles, damaging them while others are seen burning. The footage also documents the advance of the Yemeni army and the committees towards the positions of the coalition forces, and how they regained control of them after those forces fled and withdrew, despite the coalition’s planes bombing the battle zone; in an attempt to obstruct the advance of Yemeni forces.