Talk:Saudi advance on Hodaidah

Thanks for covering this, Diagonal, it is such a shame - even the Guardian pleas guilty. Do you think it warrants a ticker thing like for Syria and Ukraine? If you are interested (to be the main author for how long it will stay relevant, with occasional additions from others, like I do for Syria and Resup does for Ukraine), I suggest you open a Yemen news/Current page and I will integrate it into the Main page below the Syria news ticker. --CE (talk) 20:53, 17 June 2018 (UTC)

Thanks CE. I would be open to doing that, although I have no real knowldege of Yemen and no arabic language. Annoyingly, I have to organise a move and some short trips in the coming few weeks, so my availability for this will be disrupted. --Diagonal (talk) 10:59, 19 June 2018 (UTC)


 * No problem, just an idea. Unfortunately I also don't have the resources to follow this additionally, but it would be good to have. This atrocity is also going on for what, four years by now, below the radar of the average "news" consumer. Very "educational". --CE (talk) 18:52, 19 June 2018 (UTC)


 * I think this page might need a different title. What's the simplest way? Set up a new page and migrate the content across? --Diagonal (talk) 09:25, 20 June 2018 (UTC)


 * As it isn't linked anywhere, I can simply rename it. Which title? --CE (talk) 09:52, 20 June 2018 (UTC)


 * 'Yemen: Battle of the west coast' ... what do you think? This page is listed on the Yemen category page. I'm off for a few days now, thanks. --Diagonal (talk) 07:56, 21 June 2018 (UTC)

Red Sea Mills
As ever, conflicting reports as to which side is responsible for a fire at this complex (Jan 25) and for a later incident where a demining engineer was shot by sniper as UN team visited the Houthi controlled outskirts nearby. The complex is close to the frontlines, fighting was reported there in September and WFP has not been able to use it since then. It was taken by the coalition in early November. The complex was under the control of the coalition forces when BBC and France 24 (videos published on 28,29th) were escorted to the site. (AFP were there on January 22,)

Lyse Doucet, (presumably visited videoon the same day) reports the houthis attacked with a mortar after they had left, but the footage added to her report (from three days later) just showed the aftermath of a fire in a silo. Wondering why the BBC did not publish until 6 days after their filming? --Diagonal (talk) 21:01, 13 February 2019 (UTC)

Feb 18: Access to the complex has been an issue in UN talks. To access the complex from Hodeidah the UN would have to pass through the frontline from Houthi controlled to coalition controlled territory.

Late february/early March: The National Salvation government cleared the section of the route to Red Sea Mills under their control. The UN team passed through. The inspectors found the grain in poor condition. In the following days reports of firing on the UN teams convoy attributed to coalition forces according to journalist Hussain al Bukhaiti.

Demining engineer shot
The houthi aligned army stated the shot engineer was Mohamad Foud working for them.
 * https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1090269922242879488 January 29
 * https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1090312742861529088 with video from al Masirah
 * Deminers attacked near grain stores in Yemen port Mohamad Ghobari Reuters January 30, 2019
 * http://www.yemenextra.net/2019/01/29/saudi-militias-kill-a-demining-expert-before-the-eyes-of-the-un-team-in-yemens-hodeidah/
 * Brigadier General Yahya Saree, confirmed the death of one of the members within the demining unit this afternoon in Hodeidah...One of the members in the mine action team named Mohammed Fouad Mohammed al-Atari, an engineer, was seriously injured. The engineer was then hospitalized, but died of his injuries.

Apparent location of incident from descriptions and which appears to match the al Masriah video.

Reports nine british soldiers killed?
According to a few reports British and Pakistani personnel were killed in an operation of the Yemeni army on 23 Feb in the Najran saudi border area. Based on a statement given by a Yemeni Army spokesman to al masirah tv. Unclear whether the figure of 9 includes the 3 pakistanis or not. Claims circulate on social media that the British, said to be experienced, were advising/directing coalition operations there.

SAS involvement in Yemen has come to light the previous week in British media February 2019 (See UK role in Yemen)
 * #Houthis media reported👇9British were kild by #Yemen-i army&popular committees(houthis)special operation n Hamdaan area n #Najran #KSA the9Britons were n the process of leading&carrying out attack with #Saudi soldiers&Yemeni fighters on #Houthi held position n Najran Hussein Al Bukhaiti with map of alleged location. Apparently on the Saudi side of border South West of Najran.
 * https://www.uprising.today/3-pakistani-mercenaries-killed-in-najran/
 * http://iranpress.com/middle_east-i132670
 * http://www.irna.ir/en/News/83220093
 * https://voiceofpeopletoday.com/nine-british-soldiers-killed-in-najran-houthis-claim/
 * http://www.yemenextra.net/2019/02/24/uk-ended-up-killing-yemenis-they-respond/
 * http://en.ypagency.net/90898/
 * https://www.presstv.com/DetailFr/2019/02/24/589391/Najran-9-militaires-britanniques-tus
 * https://southfront.org/houthis-claim-they-killed-nine-british-personnel-in-southern-saudi-arabia/
 * The Houthis have killed nine British fighters during a special operation in the southern Saudi province of Najran, the Yemeni group’s media wing revealed on February 23.“The slain British fighters were about to lead several attacks by the mercenaries on the [Saudi-Yemeni] border,” the Houthis’ media wing quoted a military source as saying. The Houthis didn’t clarify if the alleged British fighters were service members of the British Armed Forces or simply contractors hired by the Saudi-led coalition. The militaries of Saudi Arabia and the UAE are known for employing many foreign contractors.