On February 2, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Taiz Khaled al-Hammadi: “A Yemeni military source mentioned that the National Army and the Popular Resistance forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi had seized the strategic Fardat Nahm camp, which is 50 kilometers east of the capital Sanaa and which used to be controlled by the Presidential Guard loyal to deposed President Ali Saleh. The source said to Al-Quds al-Arabi: “Thank God, after long weeks of planning and gradual military movements, the Fardat Nahm camp was seized by the National Army and Popular Resistance forces, and all the roads and regions surrounding it were secured.” He added: “Seizing this camp, which is the largest in the region, is an extraordinary military conquest, which paves the way before military progress towards the capital Sanaa.”

“[He assured:] “This is due to the fact that it was one of the most important camps obstructing the National Army and Popular Resistance forces’ march towards Sanaa,” indicating that the military gains secured by the troops loyal to President Hadi came a few weeks after the infiltration of the advanced tribal regions..., the besieging of the camp from the side of the capital Sanaa, and the blocking of all the passageways and supply routes leading to it. At this level, Member of the High Council of the Sanaa Resistance Abdul Kareem Thouael stated: “The resistance and army forces were able to block the insurrectionists’ supply routes in Fardat Nahm from the Sanaa side, and fully seize the camp,” confirming the death of dozens of Houthi insurrectionists and followers of deposed [President] Saleh, the capturing of dozens of others, and the collective fleeing of large numbers of others.

“He said to Al-Quds al-Arabi that the Fardat Nahm camp was now fully controlled by the legitimate resistance and National Army forces, at a time when local media outlets in Yemen circulated reports about the fleeing of many elements and members of the families of Houthi commanders outside of the country, with the approach of the National Army and Popular Resistance to the outskirts of the capital Sanaa. The reports assured that some families had reached Iran, namely that of the group’s leader Abdelmalek al-Houthi, whose son Jibril and his remaining family members were said to have arrived to Tehran. They also pointed to the departure of the Russian diplomatic mission from the capital Sanaa, as the last one that was still present in it. However, no official confirmations were issued in this regard.”