The Houthis have sent substantial military reinforcements to the Mukayras district in Al-Baydha governorate in the past two days, a government military official at a nearby battlefront told Almasdar Online.

The reinforcements, which include surface-to-air missiles (SAM), small combat and reconnaissance drones, artillery, armored vehicles and Katyusha rockets, arrived in Mukayras’s Al-Majd camp, before being transported to nearby Tharrah hill overlooking Lawdar district in Abyan governorate, the official said. Lawder is held by a mix of anti-Houthi forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.

It’s the largest batch of military reinforcements to Tharah hill to date, he said, and includes the group’s newly acquired anti-aircraft missiles. 

The Houthis have controlled Mukayras and parts of Tharrah hill since 2014. The Yemeni army and Southern Resistance Forces have struggled to liberate the district due to a decline in military support from the Saudi-led coalition.