Sudan military rejects claims of heavy losses in Yemen

A military source from Sudan speaking to MEMO has denied claims that Houthi rebels in Yemen have inflicted heavy casualties on Sudanese forces fighting as part of Saudi Arabia’s coalition in northern Yemen.

In response to Yemen’s pro-rebel SABA news agency claims that up to 83 Sudanese soldiers, including four senior officers, had been killed, the military source said that just 15 soldiers were lost and 70 fighters were injured, some lightly, others more seriously.

According to a report publish today on Jane’s Defence Weekly website, rebels supported claims that over 80 soldiers had been killed by releasing video footage showing dead soldiers wearing Sudanese uniforms. Sudanese identity cards and Saudi currency were purportedly found on the bodies.

Read: 2 Sudanese soldiers killed in Yemen

In addition, it is claimed that a destroyed T-72 tank fitted with explosive reactive armour (ERA) and an Oshkosh M-ATV armoured vehicle were also seen in the footage.

However, military sources told MEMO the area from Midi town stretching to the west coast was captured after a battle lasting seven hours, but said that some sporadic fighting in the area continues. The source claims this was one of the largest areas to have been cleared and followed previous unsuccessful attempts by the Yemeni army to take control.

Sudan has been a member of the Saudi-led coalition since the beginning of its military intervention in Yemen in March 2015 and has been operating alongside soldiers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in southern Yemen.

There has been no comment from the Saudi-led coalition headquarters in Riyadh.