The Saudi-led forces intended to take control of Haylan Mountain in Ma'rib province, but the Yemeni forces pushed them back.

Tens of pro-Saudi forces were killed and dozens of them were injured during heavy clashes with the Yemeni forces.

Meantime, the Yemeni army and popular forces' attacks killed scores of Saudi troops in al-Mosafaq region in the province of Jizan in the Southern parts of the kingdom.

Earlier today, the chief commander of the UAE forces in Yemen was injured and three Blackwater mercenaries, including a French officer, were killed in an ambush of the Yemeni troops in the coastal province of Ta’iz.

"A special unit of the Yemeni army and popular forces attacked a convoy of the UAE and Blackwater forces in al-Sanameh region in the western part of al-Waze'iya of Ta’iz,” Arabic-language media outlets quoted a Yemeni military source as saying.

The UAE has recently hired Blackwater forces to replace its regular soldiers in Yemen to fight against the Yemeni army and Ansarullah fighters.

The Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries has launched an all-out aggression against the Yemeni nation since March 26 to help return former Yemeni president Mansour Hadi to power and prevent the Ansarullah revolutionary forces from ascending to power.

A vast part of Yemen’s infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, and people’s houses have been destroyed by the Saudi airstrikes and the Saudi-led coalition troops.

Thousands of Yemeni people, including children and women, have been killed and tens of thousands of them have been displaced.

On Friday, the Yemeni army and popular forces continued to inflict heavy losses on the Saudi army by destroying their military equipment and hardware and shot down another military helicopter in the province of Hajjah.

"The Yemeni forces hit an Apache helicopter in Midi region in Hajjah province," the Arab-language media outlets quoted informed Yemen sources as saying.

The Yemeni army and the popular forces have intensified their attacks against the Saudi forces and their military positions in recent week by destroying their warships and helicopters.

In a relevant development in late December, an ammunition depot and two Apache helicopters of the pro-Saudi forces were also destroyed in the Yemeni ballistic missile strikes in Southern Yemen.

In late August, the Yemeni forces downed another Saudi Apache helicopter in al-Khubah district of Jizan Province, on the Yemeni-Saudi border.

Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the attack.

On December 28, Yemen's army and popular forces targeted and destroyed a Saudi warship in the waters near Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the ninth Saudi vessel sinking in waters offshore Yemen in the last four months.

The Saudi warship was targeted with Yemeni missiles in the Al-Mukha coastal waters in the province of Ta'iz.

The sunken ship had repeatedly fired rockets at the residential areas in Ta'iz province, inflicting casualties and destruction there.

Other Saudi battleships that were approaching Yemen's coasts retreated fast following the attack.

The coast of Al-Mukha is located in Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Saudi-led forces have been trying hard for several months now to win control over the coastal regions near the waterway.

On December 11, the Yemeni forces targeted and destroyed a Saudi warship in the waters near Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On December 5, the Yemeni forces destroyed a Saudi-led coalition warship al-Mukha coast.

On November 25, the Yemeni forces targeted and destroyed a Saudi warship in the waters near Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On November 15, Yemeni forces destroyed a Saudi-led coalition warship al-Mukha coast.

On November 7, Yemeni forces fired rockets at a Saudi-led coalition warship and destroyed it near al-Mukha coast.

On October 25, the Yemeni forces hit and destroyed another Saudi warship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On October 11, another ship which belonged to the Egyptian army and named al-Mahrousa was destroyed by Yemeni missiles in the coastal waters near al-Mukha coast.

On October 9, Yemeni army and popular forces also fired missiles at a Saudi warship, and destroyed it in Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The warship was wrecked off the Southwestern coast of Yemen, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, FNA reported.

S/SH