YEMEN: GIANTS FORCES TAKE CONTROL OF THE GOVERNORATE OF “SHABWA”

In less than two weeks, the forces of the Giants Brigades managed to retake the districts (Usailan, Bayhan, and Ain) of "Shabwa" governorate from the Houthis. As a result, the governorate of "Shabwa" as a whole is no longer under the control of the Houthis.

The Giants Brigades forces had reached Shabwa from the western coast on December 28, 2021. In such a short period, these forces managed to give the impression that they are qualified enough to quickly and effectively defeat the Houthis.

It has proven that these forces have great military capabilities that even the Yemeni army does not possess. In addition to that they were backed by to the UAe supplying them with ammunition with a large-scale air support by the KSA-led coalition's aircraft.

The Giants forces are military brigades, mostly guided by Salafi figures. They were established by Abu Zara’a al-Hadrami in 2015 to fight the Houthis in Aden. They were later moved to the western coast and participated in the battles for the control of the coastal areas. The forces consist of 12 brigades, with more than 15,000 soldiers. The UAE is responsible for the training and financing of these forces in full.

Controling "Shabwa” by the Giants Brigades came after removing the former governor of Shabwa, Muhammad Saleh bin Adyo, on December 25, 2021, who is considered one of the most prominent opponents of the UAE in Yemen. Gaining control of the governorate also came after the redeployments of joint forces in "Hodeidah" in November 2021, which indicates that the UAE sought to show that the appointment of the new governor marked the beginning of an era of victories and achievements. This, in fact, was achieved militarily through taking real actions on the ground, and economically (or on the media outlets so far) through Saudi Arabia’s announcement of Operation “Freedom of Yemen Al-Saeed” during Al-Maliki’s first visit to Shabwa, one day after the Giants Brigades took control of the entire governorate.

Taking control of the governorate by the Giants Brigades has affected the course of the battle in "Marib", as the battle eased the pressures on "Marib", and also opened new fronts in the governorate of "Al-Bayda". It, however, has the greatest impact as a moral victory, as it gave hope that the Houthis would be defeated in a short time, if capabilities and desire existed among the regional actors. It also moved the battle in "Marib" from being a defensive action to an offensive. It also gave the Houthis hard times as well.

Moreover, controlling "Shabwa" by the Giants Brigades has raised questions among the Yemeni political circles about the fate of the governorate, and whether it will join the rest of the southern governorates in terms of its subordination to the Transitional Council, or it will remain under the direct authority of the legitimate government.

The rapid and successive achievements of the Giant Brigades raise questions about their next destination, and whether they will continue their advance toward the governorates under the control of the Houthis, or stop progressing after they gained control of Shabwa.