Yemen’s armed forces have successfully carried out a military operation against Daesh terrorists and mercenaries loyal to the former government in the central-southern province of Shabwah.

The official spokesman of the armed forces, Brigadier General Yahya Sare’e has confirmed the joint operation using the country’s Air Force comprising of missiles and drone targeted the militants as they attempted to make an advance towards the Yemeni army’s positions in the A’ain district. He says the militants tried to advance for hours but failed to do so despite having a superior Air Force; referring to the wider Saudi-led coalition’s air power.

Sare’e says the strikes on the enemy targets had been accurate. Two ballistic missiles had been used in the offensive. He pointed out that as a result of the military operation, a large number of militants have been killed and wounded. He also noted the surprise offensive left the militants in a state of shock and confusion with ambulances rushing to the scene to transport the casualties.

The Yemeni army spokesman also says the “Saudi-American” aggression had launched 43 air raids in a matter of hours, the majority of them in the provinces of Shabwah and Ma’arib.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni military has published footage of an enemy reconnaissance plane hovering above Shabwah province before being shot down with a locally made surface-to-air missile.

The footage shows thermal imaging of the spy plane before it was targeted with a direct hit and fell on the outskirts of the Ain District where the Daesh terrorists and militants loyal to the former government were attacked. The scenes also show scattered remnants of the wreckage of the enemy plane where it fell after it was almost completely burnt.

Sare’e announced the downing of the spy drone saying it was armed and carrying out “hostile action” before being brought down.

The war on Yemen which was waged by Saudi Arabia and a coalition of some regional allies with U.S. backing is inching closer to its seventh year.

The Saudi goal of restoring the former government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi has failed, but hundreds of thousands of Yemenis have been killed and millions more either displaced or living in extreme poverty.

While Saudi Arabia and militants loyal to the Kingdom are fending off the Yemeni army’s advances in the energy-rich strategic northern city of Ma’arib. It is the last major Saudi stronghold in Northern Yemen. This is while analysts say the United Arab Emirates has backed separatist forces in the South.

Meanwhile, the country’s Foreign Minister has welcomed an “Iranian initiative” for “intra-Yemeni dialogue” to end the war that began in March 2015.

Hisham Sharaf says “the Iranian initiative offers a solution, deals with the war and blockade in Yemen, and provides a mechanism for inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue as well as ways to de-escalate the status quo”.

Last week, the country’s Iranian counterpart reiterated the proposal in Oman. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the current problems should be settled through diplomatic channels in cooperation with all Yemenis.

According to the United Nations, more than 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million are suffering from extreme levels of hunger.

As Yemen increases the pace of its military operations to liberate its own land, Saudi Arabia has sharply increased its deadly airstrikes across

The country. The Yemeni capital international airport has recently been repeatedly hit as well as residential areas in the capital Sana’a and a hospital.

The latest air raids have been condemned by international organizations.