Faraan: “The liberation of Mari’b will have significant impacts on [efforts to] expel occupation forces and return oil wealth” to the country, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network on Tuesday night.
The official said the Saudi-led coalition of aggressors runs a key command center in Ma’rib, which is tasked with directing the operations against the Yemeni armed forces and “that is why the liberation of the rest of Ma’rib constitutes a major objective for Yemen and will mark a milestone and the start of a new phase” in the Yemeni army’s liberation struggles.
He added that Yemeni army troops and fighters from Popular Committees will soon mount a major operation against Saudi-led coalition forces and their mercenaries.
Bukhaiti said the Saudi-led coalition’s air power will not last long, and the Yemeni Armed Forces continue to strengthen their military capabilities.
“We tell those involved in the fighting with the coalition that we do not want to target them,” said Bukhaiti, apparently addressing the militants serving the Saudi-led coalition on the battle ground. Besides foreign mercenaries, many Yemeni militants loyal to the former Riyadh-friendly government Sana’a have been serving the Saudi-led campaign.
The balance of power is tilting in favor of Yemen and the country will enter a new phase once enemy forces are defeated, he said.
“The Sana’a initiative is still on the table” Bukhaiti said, calling on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to “quickly seize the opportunity and embrace peace.”
“Yemen’s goals are defensive at present, but the objectives of the battles may change as time passes,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said in a press conference that Yemeni Armed Forces had made significant territorial gains in Ma’rib Province, seizing control over large swaths of territory from Saudi-backed mercenaries.
