Yemeni Forces Kill 80 Saudi-backed Mercenaries in Al-Bayda Province

By Staff, Agencies

The Yemeni army and Popular Committees killed or wounded 80 mercenaries in two separate military operations in response to attacks by Saudi coalition mercenaries and al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen's al-Bayda province.

A military official said Yemeni forces had responded strongly to the recent Saudi coalition attacks in central Yemen.

The military source said the Yemeni Army and Popular Committees affiliated with Ansarullah revolutionary movement in cooperation with tribal forces carried out two military operations in the al-Zahir and al-Suma areas of al-Bayda province.

He added that more than 80 Saudi coalition mercenaries, including several al-Qaeda leaders, were killed or wounded in the two operations.

The source stressed that a number of positions occupied by Saudi mercenaries in al-Suma and al-Zahir were also recaptured during the two operations.

On Monday, spokesperson for Yemen's National Salvation Government Dhaifullah al-Shami said that the United States was behind an operation being carried out by the Saudi coalition in the city of al-Zahir in al-Bayda province codenamed "al-Najm al-Thaqib."