Yemen’s Minister of Defence, Major General Mohammad Al-Atifi, said that the Army and Popular Committees are able to devise plans of martial action that have surprised the forces of aggression on the ground, stressing that “there is no comparison between what we were 6 years ago and what we reached today.”
During an inclusive interview with Almasirah TV Channel on Friday, the Major General explained that despite the sudden strikes suffered by the Armed Forces, the leadership tended to lay down paths for dealing with aggression, and the beginning was done by absorbing the initial shock and working to reduce losses.
He pointed out that during the first years of the aggression, important stages were accomplished in terms of rebuilding the Armed Forces, and great achievements were made in conjunction with the achievements in the field.
Al-Atifi added that “The trend towards the production of light and medium weapons was accelerated in the beginning of the aggression, and this matter encouraged the production of strategic deterrence weapons.”
The Minister emphasised that the entry of the ballistic, winged missiles, drones, air defence systems and marine systems on the battle were factors that constituted a shift from the defensive battle to the offensive.
He continued by saying, “Today we make the initiative, we threaten and implement our threats, and we have the ability and the capabilities to direct our strikes to places the enemy does not expect.”
He pointed out that the aggression countries are going through the worst conditions and are looking today for a way out of the Yemeni quagmire.
Al-Atifi stated that Yemen’s defence capabilities were subjected to conspiracy and destruction at various stages by the US and Saudi invaders, starting with the destruction of the air defence systems during the era of the Saleh regime.
He added, “In the year 2013, we were called to a session with the American-Jordanian military institution restructuring committee. They insistented discussing the group of missile brigades that I was in command of,” noting that the committee discussed with the commander of the former Republican Guard Brigades, Major General Ali Al-Jaifi all details of the capabilities and stores of the brigades.
“We held a second meeting in August 2013 with the American-Jordanian Committee, and at that time they focused on the issue of missiles and their readiness,” the defense minister said.
And he went on to say, “What we have seen in terms of opening the Armed Forces’ camps to foreigners and allowing them to destroy weapons and interfering with other matters, is an expression of the absence of Yemen’s sovereignty during the era of the former regime.”
“After the September 21 Revolution, we returned the missile systems to their readiness, developed them and manufactured new missiles, some of which have been unveiled and others will be revealed in a timely manner,” he added.
He praised and appreciated the Leader of the Revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, who gave the military establishment and its leaders all the attention until they reached what they are today.
The Minister of Defence emphasiser that the Leader of the Revolution directly supervises the military industries issue with great interest.
“We are proud today that we have a quality military industry, despite the unjust blockade. We have created impressive capabilities, and our capabilities speak,” he said.
The Minister of Defence explained that “the forces of aggression have committed the most heinous crimes against Yemen, so it was a duty for us to respond to this barbarism in proportion to it and impose deterrence with the forces of aggression.”
“We have the information and coordinates that provide us with an opportunity to shake the entity of aggression, and to anger Riyadh, Washington, London, Paris and Tel Aviv, as long as they continue with the aggression,” the minister affirmed.