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AL-MUKALLA: Yemeni soldiers and the Giants Brigades troops on Wednesday seized control of a military base and liberated a large section of land in the southern province of Shabwa, inflicting another blow to the Iran-backed Houthis. 

The Giants Brigades said in a brief statement that its forces, backed by the Arab coalition warplanes, recaptured the Infantry Brigade 163 base and Al-Safra and Sulaim areas, west of Shabwa, following heavy clashes with the Houthis. 

The Houthis have suffered a series of setbacks in the oil-rich province of Shabwa after the Giant Brigades, military units previously stationed along the country’s west coast, launched an offensive to liberate three districts in the province. 

During the early days of the offensive, the Giants Brigades forces seized large amounts of land in Ouselan district, including the district’s center, and pushed toward Bayhan. 

On Tuesday, loyalists seized control of Al-Noqub town and shelled the Houthis in Bayhan district to pave the way for ground forces to advance toward the Houthi-controlled territory.

The Houthis made major military gains late last year after seizing control of Bayhan, Al-Aid and Ouselan districts in Shabwa province, a move that helped them rapidly attack the central city of Marib from the south. 

Seizing control of Bayhan and neighboring areas would enable government forces to cut supply lines to the Houthis in Marib and alleviate military pressure on army troops and allied tribal fighters who have been fighting off aggressive Houthi attacks since early last year.

The Houthis also suffered fresh blows in the province of Marib on Wednesday as government troops thwarted their attempts to breach defenses south and west of Marib. 

Local officials and media reports said on Wednesday that warplanes from the Arab coalition played a major role in smoothing the way for the Giant Brigades to advance in Shabwa province after targeting Houthi locations and military equipment. Several Houthis, including provincial leaders, were killed by Arab coalition airstrikes in Shabwa province, local media said. 

Al-Masdar Online news site reported on Wednesday that an airstrike struck a gathering of Houthi leaders, killing Ahmed Al-Hamza, the militia’s deputy governor of Shabwa, and wounding two others: Al-Qatabi Al-Faraji, the governor of Al-Mahra, and Ahmed Jareeb, the governor Lahj. 

The wounded leaders were taken to Sanaa hospitals, the news site said. The territorial gains in Shabwa and Marib come as the Arab coalition carried out several airstrikes on military sites controlled by the Houthis in Sanaa. 

The airstrikes destroyed workshops and secret depots for assembling and booby-trapping drones, the coalition said in a statement on Wednesday, urging residents not to approach the targeted areas.