Saudi Arabia carried out unusual airstrikes on Sunday against an armed Yemeni militia that had been fighting under its command against the Houthis, after the group announced a sudden withdrawal from the front lines near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to footage emerging from Yemen and regional sources.
Saudi Strikes in Yemen
Saudi Arabia Strikes Allied Yemeni Militia
Footage from Yemen appears to show Saudi airstrikes on a militia that had fought alongside Saudi-led forces against the Houthis, hours after it announced a sudden retreat.
The militia announced in the afternoon that it was abandoning its positions on the Saudi-led front and pulling back toward the Red Sea coast. It described the move as a "tactical withdrawal." According to regional sources, however, the pullback was not coordinated with Yemeni government forces or the Saudi command, and the fighters handed over territory and positions to the Houthis.
In response, Saudi forces launched a wave of strikes on the retreating fighters, who until just hours earlier had been operating alongside them.
It remains unclear whether the withdrawal was coordinated with the Houthis or was simply another case of a tribal group abandoning the front, which has happened many times during the current campaign. According to Srugim, the Saudi strikes point to a shift in thinking at the top of the kingdom, which has apparently decided to make deserters and retreating fighters pay a heavy price.
The aftermath of the strike| צילום: Photo: Uncredited
