Yemeni army forces, allies make major progress in Ma’rib, liberate strategic Hilan mountain

  Since last month, the forces have been pushing to liberate Ma’rib, the last northern stronghold of Saudi-backed militants and the capital of an oil-rich region. The forces "took control of Mount Hilan overlooking the city, after fighting which left dozens of dead and wounded on both sides," AFP cited an unnamed source close to Saudi-backed former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi on Friday. "Marib is in danger," another source said, adding the loss of the mountain posed "a threat to Marib's first line of defense". The spokesman of the Yemeni armed forces General Yayha Sare'e was about to make an important announcement later Friday.   Other sources said the Yemeni army troops had cut supply lines to Saudi-backed mercenaries on some fronts, and were now within firing range of the al-Mashjab line west of Mar’ib city. They are on the verge of retaking the strategic district of Sirwah, despite the heavy deployment of military equipment and troops by the invading Saudi-led coalition to Ma'rib. The Lebanon-based and Arabic-language al-Akhbar daily newspaper reported on Friday that the Yemeni troops and their allies have also scored territorial gains in al-Moshaja area and east of the Kassara front, which lies northwest of Ma’rib city, and established control over a number of military sites. The report said the Yemeni armed forces managed to retake Malbouda area, situated north of al-Atif area, from Saudi-led coalition troops and their mercenaries despite heavy air cover by Saudi-led military aircraft. Akhbar noted that the Yemeni soldiers and Popular Committees fighters have tightened the noose around Saudi-led forces and their allied militants, and seized 17 military sites from them.