Map of the situation around Hays during December 2017
On March 7, fighters loyal to Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi repelled several attacks by the Houthis on their positions in the southern part of the Hays district in the western province of al-Hudaydah, according to the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV. Pro-Hadi fighters supported by Apache attack helicopters of the Saudi-led coalition killed 30 Houthi members.
The Hays district was captured by the Saudi-led coalition and pro-Hadi forces on December 10, 2017. The district is one of the key positions in western Yemen as it overlooks the highway toward thh al-Hudaydah port.
In response to the Houthis’ attacks on Hays, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted a series of airstrikes on positions, camps, ammo depots and headquarters of the Houthis in the districts of al-Jarrahi and Tuhayat, south of Hays.
Al-Arabiya said that more than 100 Houthis fighters had been killed and dozens others had been injured in the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.
The Saudi-led coalition stepped up its aerial operations in western Yemen in January after the Houthis had managed to besiege its forces south of the city of al-Hudaydah. Due to this, the Houthis have not been able to recapture any position there so far.
