Coalition forces begin offensive to retake Yemen's military base near Aden

Published August 3rd, 2015 - 04:37 GMT
Smoke billows on the horizon as supporters of exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi block a road in al-Mansura, east of Aden, on April 29, 2015. (AFP/Saleh Al-Obeidi)
Smoke billows on the horizon as supporters of exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi block a road in al-Mansura, east of Aden, on April 29, 2015. (AFP/Saleh Al-Obeidi)

Forces loyal to the Yemeni government began an offensive to retake the largest military base in Yemen near Aden, after hundreds of coalition troops were deployed to the southern port city, AFP reported Monday.

Military sources said government troops deployed armor and tanks to retake al-Anad base, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) north of Aden. 

The troops, which a commander said were mostly from the UAE, surrounded the base in anticipation of the offensive. Saudi Arabia was also providing air cover, a source told AFP. 

Al-Anad, a military and air base, provided a place for US troops to oversee al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) during a drone war before the base was overrun by Houthi rebels in March.

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