The Yemeni army announced on Friday capturing over 20 Houthi militia leaders in a raid near the country’s western coastline over the past two days. While making the arrests, soldiers discovered and seized a weapons depot said to have key blueprints for landmines planted by the Iran-backed group. Army troops have made a significant push near the northeastern Houthi bastion, Saada. In the advance, Iran-made communications gear was detected and seized in Houthi-abandoned enclaves. Recovered devices, after being probed by specialists, were found to be covert listening bugs left behind by the defeated militiamen to collect intelligence on developments taking place in spots they lost to army troops which could be very helpful in plotting retaliation. Brigadier Abdo Abdullah Majli said that Houthis implemented a cover up policy to hide the country of origins of weapons and devices they are employing in battle. Under a UN resolution, Tehran is prohibited from supplying, selling or transferring weapons outside the country unless approved by the Security Council. A separate UN resolution on Yemen bans the supply of arms to Houthi leaders. Mass retreat by Houthi fighters has allowed sweeping advances by Yemeni army troops and disbanded the group’s leadership ranks, Majli told Asharq Al-Awsat in a phone call. During fierce clashes, unfortunately, child recruits used by Houthis as cannon fodder have been killed, with some survivors being handed over to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid And Relief Centre (KSRelief) for rehabilitation, Majli added. Noting developments concerning the Houthi-operated communications network, Majli said that Arab Coalition airstrikes have managed to hit key targets in Saada, allowing Yemeni infantry to advance against insurgent pockets. Popular contempt for Iran-aligned insurgents and support for the freely elected government headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi has also played a major role in victories achieved against the armed insurgents, he added. Arab Coalition aircraft are one of the strategic advantages helping serve fatal blows to Houthis, Majli underlined.