Pakistan sent four cargo planes full of armaments to the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government of Yemen in September as the kingdom mobilizes for a major counter-offensive to push back a sweeping advance by the Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah. The Pakistani weapons shipments to the southern port city of Aden, which was reported by Reuters on Friday, suggest that Islamabad is now significantly increasing its direct military involvement in the long-running Yemen aggression.
According to details shared with Reuters, Pakistan delivered a range of critical military hardware to Aden, including air defence systems, light artillery, military drones and anti-drone systems. The shipment was confirmed by a Pakistani government official. In addition to the weapons, Pakistani military advisers are also reported to be on the ground in Yemen, working alongside their Saudi counterparts to support and advise Yemeni government troops who are currently under severe pressure on multiple fronts.
The development comes as multiple Western and Arab officials have told Middle East Eye that Saudi Arabia is preparing for a high-intensity military campaign to counter the latest offensive by the Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah, which has put the group in control of the entirety of Yemen’s strategically vital Red Sea coastline. The situation on the ground has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks, with intense fighting being reported around the key city of Taiz, which serves as a crucial gateway between the north and south.
On Thursday, forces of the Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah destroyed a major bridge that links government-held areas around Taiz to the port city of Aden, in a move seen as an attempt to cut off supply lines. Military experts have warned that if the Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah are able to take full control of Taiz from the Yemeni government, they would be able to completely isolate Aden from its remaining territory in the north and disrupt the government’s entire logistics and supply network, dealing a severe blow to the Saudi-backed administration.
In response to the gains by the Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah, Saudi Arabia has been ramping up its air strikes across Yemen. The Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah said on Thursday that the kingdom had launched 94 air strikes in the last 24 hours alone. Confirming the escalation, Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that its military had conducted a “high-value targeting operation” in the capital city of Sanaa and struck 11 separate targets in Saada. The kingdom also stated that 27 air strikes had targeted what it described as an “integrated military system” in Taiz. Meanwhile, the Yemeni Resistance AnsarAllah have also continued to target civilian infrastructure deep inside Saudi Arabia, including attacks aimed at Riyadh airport, marking a dangerous escalation in the conflict.
