Battle of the Jabara Valley

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Battle of the Jabara Valley
Part of Operation Victory from God
Najran Offensive (2019).svg
Map of the battle
  Houthi forces
  Saudi-led forces
Date26 – 29 August 2019
(3 days)
Location
Jabara Valley, Yemen
Result

Decisive Houthi victory

  • Saudi reinforcements decimated.
  • Saudi forces encircled and destroyed
Belligerents

Flag of Yemen.svg Houthi government [1]

Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia

Commanders and leaders
Mohamed al-Atifi Radad al-Hashemi [2]
(al-Fateh Brigade)
Strength
Around 500-800 1,100–2,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown but less than 200 1,000–1,900 killed or captured, 100 escaped
200+ vehicles destroyed or captured [3] [4]

The Battle of the Jabara Valley occurred between 26 and 29 August 2019, during the Second Yemeni Civil War. It was part of Operation Victory from God, a major Houthi-led offensive along the Saudi Arabian-Yemeni border.

Contents

The battle

A Saudi Arabian auxiliary force of around 1,100 men from the al-Fateh Brigade launched an offensive into the Jabara Valley in Yemen's Saada Governorate against Houthi forces. [4] When the al-Fateh Brigade entered the valley, it was initially met with no resistance. A Houthi force then enveloped the Saudi-aligned force and besieged it for four days. Saudi air support was ineffective at breaking the envelopment, with sources reporting that the Saudis accidentally struck their own positions with airstrikes. [4] [2] On 29 August 2019, a small breakout occurred with about 100 men from the pro-Saudi force escaping. The remaining thousand pro-Saudi troops capitulated, with approximately 1,000 to 2,000 killed or captured. [4] The battle was part of the initial phase of Operation Victory from God. [5]

Aftermath

Houthi sources reported that a Saudi airstrike killed several Yemeni prisoners of war captured during the battle. [3]

The Houthis continued their offensive in course of September 2019. [6]

Use of foreign weaponry by Saudis

NGOs from the EU have discovered Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia that had been used in Yemen, notably in the Jabara Valley. [7]

References

  1. ↑ Orkaby, Asher (25 March 2015). "Houthi Who?". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 Hassan Mohammed (3 October 2019). "روايات من قلب الانتكاسة .. كيف وقع لواء الفتح فريسة سهلة للحوثيين" [Novels from the heart of the setback .. How the brigade of conquest fell prey easy to the Houthis]. Balqees TV (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 "منهم الأسرى الذين قصف طيران التحالف مركز احتجازهم في مدينة ذمار..؟" [Who were the prisoners killed in the Coalition bombing of detention center in Dhamar?]. Yemenat.net (in Arabic). 1 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "'I curse myself': Yemeni mercenaries say their Saudi fighting days are over". Middle East Eye . 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  5. ↑ Weiss, Caleb (29 September 2019). "Houthis claim major operation inside Saudi Arabia". Long War Journal. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  6. ↑ Cole, Juan. "Yemen's Houthis Claim Invasion of Saudi Arabia, Capture of Thousands of Troops in Najran". Common Dreams. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Lammerant, Hans (17 October 2020). "BELGIAN ARMS IN YEMEN". Istopthearmstrade.eu .

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