Tehran. Houthi rebels operating in Yemen are continuously trying to upgrade their military and missile capabilities. According to a new report, the Houthi organization is trying to develop such deadly ballistic missiles with the help of spare parts procured from China, which will be capable of directly hitting remote areas of Saudi Arabia and Israel. The range of these missiles is estimated to be approximately 1,200 miles (about 1,930 kilometers). Meanwhile, more than 200 Houthi fighters have been claimed killed or injured in the ongoing bloody battle between government forces and Houthi rebels in Yemen’s strategic Taiz region.
Attempt to manufacture missile from parts coming from China
This has been revealed after inspection of suspicious consignments seized by Yemen authorities by international arms testing organizations. According to the report, two separate consignments sent from China last year were intercepted, from which special metal parts, missile wings, rocket motor parts, testing equipment and special metals capable of withstanding high temperatures were recovered. Experts believe that these parts can be used to prepare new weapons on the lines of Iran’s famous ‘Khyber Shaken’ missile.
Autonomous weapons production and new smuggling networks
The Houthi rebels have until now relied mainly on Iran and the Lebanese organization Hezbollah for their missile technology and weapons, but are now strengthening their domestic manufacturing infrastructure. According to defense experts, the Houthi group has unprecedentedly increased its ability to mobilize spare parts through its local networks, new smuggling routes and international intermediaries. Former experts of the UN Yemen Sanctions Committee believe that after getting medium-range ballistic missiles, the Houthis will not only be able to target the interior parts of Saudi Arabia, but these missiles will also be capable of carrying larger amounts of explosives than drones and cruise missiles.
Fierce clash in Taiz, air strikes on Houthi positions
The conflict between the Yemeni army and Houthi rebels on the Taiz front has reached its peak. According to official statements of the army, massive air strikes were carried out on a convoy of tanks and armored vehicles of Houthi rebels in the Ras al-Najd area of al-Misrakh district. Apart from this, Houthi positions were also destroyed with precise targeting on Sofitel Hill and Dhubab front located in the east of Taiz city. The Yemeni army has claimed that in this retaliation a military vehicle was completely destroyed, two tanks were heavily damaged, a drone was shot down and a convoy laden with weapons was completely destroyed.
