UAE-trained Giants Brigades says ready to 'repel' Houthi attacks

Says it had begun repositioning its forces after pushing the insurgents back

A UAE-trained militia said Saturday some of its fighters remained on the front lines in key Yemeni conflict zones as part of defensive measures after driving out the Houthi rebels.

The Giants Brigades said Friday it had begun repositioning its forces after pushing the insurgents back from oil-rich Shabwa province and stopping short of launching a northward offensive towards the strategically vital city of Marib.

The surprise announcement followed two drone and missile attacks by the Houthis on the United Arab Emirates, the first of which killed three oil workers.

Read more: UAE intercepts Houthi attack, Saudi Arabia reports two injured by fallen missile

Having lost ground to the Emirati-trained forces, the Houthis have warned of further attacks on the UAE unless such operations are halted.

The wealthy Gulf state pulled out of Yemen in 2019 but remains an influential player in a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government against the Iran-backed rebels.

Also read: UAE grounds most private drones for a month after Houthi attack

"The forces completed their mission in liberating the district of Shabwa and securing it and pushed the Houthis out of the district of Harib, south of Marib," a Giants Brigades official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

"The force that was repositioned did not leave the front lines, but rather began putting up defensive measures to repel any military attacks by the Houthis.