Most of Hodeidah Airport in the hands of Yemeni forces

The Joint Yemeni Resistance Forces successfully gained control Tuesday of large parts of Hodeidah Airport in a qualitative and surprising military operation that destroyed the defenses of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.

Dozens of Houthi militants turned tail under a barrage of fire by the forces. Other militants were killed.

The forces received backing from United Arab Emirates troops participating in the operation for the recapture of the western port city of al-Hodeidah.

The forces succeeded, meanwhile, in taking full control of the village of al-Manzar, west of al-Hodeidah Airport, where the Houthi militia was holed up, after precise and decisive strikes made the Houthis lose their operational balance, WAM, the official news agency of the UAE, reported on Tuesday.

The forces also held dozens of Houthi gunmen who were holed up behind the walls of al-Hodeidah Airport and inside its buildings hostage.

Dozens of Houthi gunmen were killed, including some field commanders, during the raid of the Yemeni Resistance Forces on al-Hodeidah Airport.

Arab Coalition and Resistance Forces engineering teams began clearing al-Hodeidah Airport and its surrounding of mines and improvised explosive devices planted by the Houthis to delay the progress of troops inside the airport.