Citing Informed sources, Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeeen television news network reported that Majdi al-Radfani, the commander of the so-called Third Brigade – also known as the nom de guerre the Giants – died of his injuries on Saturday after Yemeni army troops and their allies targeted UAE-sponsored militants in the Bayhan district.
According to the sources, more than 130 militants have been killed and dozens more have been wounded in recent confrontations with Yemeni Armed Forces. Several of their military vehicles have also been damaged.
A Yemeni military source said earlier this week that the commander of the so-called Second Brigade, Samih Jarada al-Subaihi, was killed in an operation in the Usaylan district by Yemeni army snipers and Popular Committees fighters.
Subaihi was one of the most powerful insurgent commanders in Shabwah province, and his killing marks a major setback for Abu Dhabi.
Saudi Arabia, backed by the United States and regional allies, launched the war on Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing Hadi’s government back to power and crushing the popular Ansarullah resistance movement.
The war has left hundreds of thousands of Yemenis dead and displaced millions more. It has also destroyed Yemen’s infrastructure and spread famine and infectious diseases there.
Despite heavily-armed Saudi Arabia’s incessant bombardment of the impoverished country, the Yemeni armed forces and the Popular Committees have grown steadily in strength against the Saudi-led invaders and left Riyadh and its allies bogged down in the country.