Hadi phones Marib governor, Third region army commander

Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi - currently residing in Saudi Arabia - had two phone calls with Marib Governor Sultan Al Arada and Commander of the 3rd Region of Yemen's army, General Abdul Rab al Shaddadi on the latest developments in Marib.

The talks tackled the operations conducted by the army and popular resistance forces in collaboration with the Arab coalition forces, according to the Yemeni news agency.

The president said continued sacrifices of the army and resistance forces would lead to ditching the coup militias.

Hadi urged Arada and Shaddadi to close ranks in the face of the militias, hailing coordination between the army and Arab coalition forces.

He added that the victories realized on the ground give hope that the defeat of the militias is imminent.

Over the past 10 days, Marib has been the scene of fierce battles between pro-Hadi forces and militias of Houthis and toppled president Ali Abdallah Saleh.

In March, Saudi Arabia spearheaded Arab intervention in Yemen in response to requests for assistance from the internationally recognized but domestically contested Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The request was due to a Houthi offensive aimed at its provisional capital of Aden. President Hadi fled Aden and went to Saudi Arabia as Saudi Arabia and its allies launched airstrikes in Yemen against the Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was deposed in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Source: MENA