UAE Loses 45 Troops on Black Day for Yemen Coalition

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The UAE said 45 of its soldiers engaged in a Saudi-led campaign against Shiite rebels in Yemen were killed in an accidental explosion that the insurgents claimed was caused by rocket fire.

In what was the deadliest day for the coalition since it was formed in March, Bahrain said five of its soldiers guarding the Saudi border with Yemen were also killed.

The Yemeni government said an "accidental explosion" at an arms depot at a military base in the eastern province of Marib killed the Emiratis, but the rebels said their fighters fired a rocket that caused the blast.

Coalition ally Bahrain said five of its soldiers were killed in southern Saudi Arabia where they had been posted to help defend the border with war-wracked Yemen. It did not give a precise location.

However, Yemen's exiled presidency said the Bahrainis died in the same blast that killed the Emiratis.

The Arab coalition has battled Iran-backed Huthi rebels to restore the rule of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, exiled in Riyadh.

Around 60 people, mainly military personnel, have died in cross-border rebel attacks in the south of the Saudi kingdom since the coalition began air strikes on the Huthis and their allies.

The campaign began as the Huthis advanced on the southern port of Aden, after they took control of the capital Sanaa last September.

- Obama-Salman talks -

The UAE armed forces, in a statement carried by state news agency WAM, did not disclose the circumstances of what was its highest casualty toll of the six-month-old air war.

The Emirati army had previously announced at least eight deaths in Yemen among its ranks.

Before the Emirati toll rose, the pro-Hadi army command said a total of 33 Yemeni soldiers and coalition forces were killed and dozens wounded in the blast at Safer, 250 kilometers (150 miles) from Sanaa.

A thick plume of black smoke was still billowing from the base several hours later.

Friday's coalition losses came as Saudi King Salman was in Washington for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at which Yemen figured high on the agenda.

Obama said the two sides "share concerns" about the need to restore a functioning government in Yemen and relieve an urgent humanitarian crisis.

The United States has supported the coalition effort, but repeatedly warned about the effect the fighting has had on civilians.

More than 4,500 people have been killed in the conflict, including hundreds of children, according to the United Nations, which has warned that the impoverished country is on the brink of famine.

- Reinforcements sent -

According to military sources, the coalition sent reinforcements to the Safer base this week, including tanks, armored vehicles, troop carriers, rocket launchers and Apache helicopters.

The extra hardware and troop reinforcements aim to boost "the counter-offensive launched by loyalist forces and the coalition to advance on Sanaa", one military official in Yemen said.

The Huthis, meanwhile, said their forces had killed "dozens of officers and soldiers of the mercenaries in the Saudi aggression" when they fired a Tochka ballistic missile at the camp.

The strike was "revenge for the crimes and the war of extermination being carried out by the Saudi aggressor and its mercenaries," they said.

The government denied the Huthi account, saying the explosion near an Emirati encampment in Safer was caused by "badly stored munitions."

However, one Yemeni military source told AFP an initial investigation found that the blast was caused by a surface-to-surface missile fired by the rebels.

The Huthis, who advanced from Sanaa to overrun large chunks of the country, were driven out of Aden in July.

They have since been on the defensive in southern Yemen, losing control of several provinces.

The Arab coalition has also sent in troops, with Saudi media reporting that roughly 1,500 soldiers, most from the UAE, had entered Aden.

The UAE only confirmed last month that its troops were on the ground there.

The blast in Safer came as loyalist forces kept up their drive to claw back territory lost to the Huthis over the past year.

Coalition warplanes later on Friday carried out air strikes on the rebel-held defense ministry complex in Sanaa and also targeted arms depots in the north of the capital, witnesses said.

Comments 12
Thumb EagleDawn 04 September 2015, 14:18

fallen heroes blessed you are.

Thumb Mystic 04 September 2015, 22:50

Proud to call these Ansarullah fighters brothers, in both death and victory they fight with honor.

Always the poor people fights better against the rich oppressors.

Thumb _mowaten_ 05 September 2015, 10:43

saudis and emiratis are killing yemeni civilians by the thousands, it is yemenis right to fight back and defend themselves, especially against military targets.

Missing CFTC 05 September 2015, 10:52

@mowaten E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T. Still laughing since the day you declared with a straight face you were a shiaa atheist and also a member of hezbollah with only one account. I think i will also continue to laugh at your statement "it is yemenis right to fight back and defend themselves". Thank you Thank you

Default-user-icon mowaten.fantoura (Guest) 05 September 2015, 10:54

you call that answers/comments mowaten?

Default-user-icon illegitimate & illiterate.southern (Guest) 04 September 2015, 15:22

well said
stay away from Sectarianism and stay Secular
Bless You

Thumb galaxy 04 September 2015, 15:29

a lot of hatred inside you wow!

Missing humble 04 September 2015, 16:02

Iran is a backward country...there is nothing to be proud of!!!

Thumb galaxy 04 September 2015, 16:15

souther what you provided is NOT a source!
the article mentions:
"The Houthis said they fired a rocket at a weapons cache in a camp used by Gulf coalition forces in the central Marib area, killing dozens of Emirati and Yemeni soldiers and destroying a number of Apache helicopters and armed vehicles."

Well of course the Huthis say! Regardless, this will not alter the inevitable course of the war which is the complete defeat of your criminal Huthis in Yemen.

Thumb barrymore 04 September 2015, 22:23

The Huthis, meanwhile, said their forces had killed "dozens of officers and soldiers of the mercenaries in the Saudi aggression" when they fired a Tochka ballistic missile at the camp.

Tochka is a highly accurate missile most probably supplied by Iran.

Thumb liberty 05 September 2015, 07:05

your opinion is worthless.

Thumb liberty 05 September 2015, 07:07

texas
this troll lebanon08 is one of mowaten's numerous screen names.. I caught him several times before, forgetting to sign out.