Heavy Yemeni army special taskforce deployments along Hodeidah outskirts are missioned with pushing forward into the center of the coastal city and drive out coupist snipers. Army concentrations rallied into designated posts after establishing control over multiple highly-strategic infrastructure linking Houthi stronghold, Sanaa, and the Red Sea port city. Advances towards Hodeidah forced Houthi insurgents to evacuate some 29 senior leaders, remove about 20 Iranian experts and Hezbollah agents from the formerly assumed posts, army spokesman Brigadier Abdo Majli said. According to Brig. Majli, all relocated coup officials are believed to have been moved to Hajjah and Saada. Forces undertaking missions in Hodiedah are trained state-of-the-art combat skills, and are responsible for expelling the militias from the heart of the city and engaging with snipers, Brig. Majli told Asharq Al- Awsat in a telephone conversation. Assigned special taskforces are highly trained on urban fighting, he added. Citing intelligence data gathered from within Hodeidah and relayed by pro-government locals, Brig. Majli said 29 first-rank militia leaders and foreign advisors have abandoned Hodeidah posts. He linked the escape of coup leaders and experts to government forces’ continued victories that have secured full control of overlooking mountain ranges, while still achieving advances on the west coast. After government forces took control over the Houthi “Air Defense Camp” located east of the city of Hodeidah, Houthi ranks rolled back and diminished in size, Brig. Majli explained. He added that Houthi supply routes into Hodeidah have been cut off, further weakening the coupist militia’s position in the city. When clearing out liberated zones, Brig. Majli said various munitions and weapons, anti-tank mines, armor and abandoned personnel were apprehended. “All these weapons were looted by militias from the armed forces and stored in different locations.” Although land arms smuggling routes are being pursued by government forces, Brig. Majli pointed out that the arms smuggling operations by coupists continue so long seaports in Hodeidah and Salif remain under militia control. Houthis, backed by Iran, are believed to smuggle arms and munitions into the country by sea.