The Yemeni army liberated most of the Bihan district, and captured dozens of Houthi militiamen.

:: The military operation against the Houthi militia is escalating in the Shabwa governorate amid significant progress by the national army and popular resistance, especially in the Asilan and Bihan districts.

The commander of Yemeni forces in Bihan told al-Hadath reporter on Friday that most of Bihan was liberated except for some small villages, as the Yemeni army was keen to preserve the lives of civilians.

He also announced that dozens of Houthi militiamen were captured, and that the Arab coalition was a vital help in the operations in Bihan.

Military sources had stated earlier that violent confrontations took place between Yemeni forces and the Houthi militia, during which the army and resistance forces managed to control the areas of Jaabour, al-Khazan, al- Noqob, Jabal bin Saban, the West and East banks and the Saadi branch of the district of Asilan.

Meanwhile, militiamen retreated from clashes in Shabwa.

The sources also reported growing disagreements between the Houthis and Republican Guard forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in the rural part of Bihan, northwest of Shabwa.

This resulted in the withdrawal of some members of the Republican Guard from battlefronts indicating increasing anger due to the latest incidents in Sanaa.

The sources pointed out that the militia lost many of their leaders and fighters in the Bihan battlefronts.

The Houthis were then forced to recruit some of their supporters in Bihan who had no fighting experience and negatively affected their internal strategies.