A Yemeni analyst wrote that the United Arab Emirates, out of fear of the United States and on the advice of the Ministry of Defense, sent Takfiri elements under its command to the Shabwa fronts in Yemen in order to achieve several goals.
According to Pak Sahafat News Agency International Group: For more than 20 days, UAE-affiliated militias known as Al-Amalqa have been deployed to the Shabwa front in the southern province of Ma’rib, and these pro-Salafi-Takfiri proxy forces have been occupying some areas from Yemeni National Salvation Army and Ansarullah forces.
From the outset, there were many reasons for sending these forces to the oil-rich province overlooking the Arabian Sea, which overlooked the sensitive and crucial Marib front; Among other things, the UAE-affiliated forces are seeking to break the siege of Ma’rib from the south and to repel the forces of the National Salvation Government and Ansarullah from the center of the oil-rich province of Ma’rib. There were also speculations that the UAE, under the pretext of operations to protect Ma’rib, intended to open a foothold for its affiliated elements along the southern provinces in order to pave the way for the creation of the state of South Yemen and the disintegration of the Yemeni Republic.
Ali al-Nasi, an observer and analyst on Yemeni issues who tries to take a neutral and sometimes nationalist stance in dealing with the events in Yemen, later in the day analyzed why the UAE was sending troops under its auspices from the west coast of Yemen. In al-Hudaidah, he dealt with the Shabwa front, which is as follows without interference:
In February 2019, US television broadcast a detailed report on Abu al-Abbas’s forces in Taiz (southwestern Yemen) and al-Amalqa on the west coast, showing that US military equipment sold directly to the UAE and Saudi Arabia Used by these groups.
The report sparked controversy in the US media and circles for a number of reasons, the most important of which was the arms deal with the Gulf Arab states (especially armored vehicles, personnel carriers and heavy equipment), according to which the armies of these countries are the last consumer of this equipment and has no right to interfere in it and hand it over to a third party; In addition, the US government calls these groups “extremist groups.”
Coalition countries [aggressor to Yemen], especially the UAE, were in a quandary after the report; In particular, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has ordered and threatened the importance of withdrawing US-made weapons from extremist [Takfiri] groups, especially al-Amalqa, and disbanding them in any way possible.
What was the UAE solution?
The UAE faced the dilemma of withdrawing weapons from these groups and wrapping up the prescription; In particular, al-Amalqa forces were concentrated on the West Bank and al-Hudaidah, which were “dead” and neutral due to the Stockholm ceasefire agreement; Therefore, they tried to use these forces on other fronts alongside the forces of the government [Abd al-Mansour] Hadi; As happened on the Azhar and Al-Sumaa fronts in al-Bayda province (southwest), Abu Dhabi failed to reap the rewards, and al-Amalqa forces remained with the same American strength and weapons.
The UAE again tried to send these forces to the “Yafeh” front, but failed again due to a solution reached between the tribes and the Sanaa forces in connection with the ceasefire that kept the war out of the region.
The deadline given by the Pentagon to the UAE ended without achieving major goals and steps in this case; As a result, Washington was forced to suspend sales of F-35 fighter jets to the UAE.
Read more: Yemeni wall written in opposition to the occupation of Saudi Arabia and the UAE: https://www.paksahafat.com/en/?p=18375
For this reason, Abu Dhabi began to take a few steps to reach a solution that Washington agreed to, which was to withdraw al-Amalqa from the West Bank and send them to the full fronts of the conflict, and this demand was fulfilled in Shabwa, and 12,000 Peykarjoo from Amaleh (including eight combat battalions + two brigades of reserve forces) was sent to this province.
Within two weeks, al-Amalqa was able to liberate the two cities of Asilan and Beyhan, as well as parts of the city of Ain, and fight the battle around Ma’rib, but the cost and human and logistical damage were so high that the Al-Amalqa forces present in Shabwa were close to two. Thousands were killed and wounded, accounting for 20 percent of the total combat force in Shabwa and 16 percent of the total (non-combat) force in the province.
These damages are in addition to extensive equipment damage, which includes between 150 and 250 such as personnel carriers and 20% of the equipment available for transportation in Shabwa.
What will happen after the nightmare?
In an interview with Sky News, Eid al-Zubaidi (Chairman of the Transitional Council of Southern Yemen) stressed that Al-Amalekah listened to the coalition and was ready to continue its operations in Ma’rib if necessary, in stark contrast to the narrative and propaganda. It was previously said that the Amalekites would stop only at the borders of Shabwa.
Question: How long will the attacks continue?
Al-Nasi writes in response to this question: The answer is simple. The battles will continue with the same intensity and routine as before, and due to the average extensive damage, the Al-Amalqa reserve forces will be called in with more brigades to enter the battle until all these forces are exhausted, and this will take between two and three months.
By doing so, Abu Dhabi will shoot several marks with one arrow, which are:
Execute Pentagon orders and destroy al-Qaeda-linked forces and weapons in their hands.
Eliminate the specter of cancellation of arms deals with the United States
Achieving new victories and stopping the progress of Sanaa
Gathering the tools of Hezb-e-Islah in Shabwa, Ma’rib and Hazr Mut
Establishing a foothold for his ally Tariq (nephew of Ali Abdullah Saleh) in Shabwa and Ma’rib provinces
The return of the UAE and the granting of it a distinct position in the Arab League in Yemen; A position may be beyond Riyadh in this coalition.