This is Yemen.
Yemen is even closer and therefore better suited to interrupt the trade route between Europe and Asia, cutting down on both European and Asian development almost as much as conflict between Russia and Western Europe.
I don't see any other to win by force there.
So, my dear friends from another desk top.... neither are all Houthis unbelievers covering up as Islamist, nor are bombing runs winning anything except you are aiming for total war and destruction creating hate.
The west of the country is most populated, the center of the Islamists and the key to interrupt the trade route in the long run.
Fortunately, the forces of the Islamists are rather weak in equipment and are mainly based on very light unarmored ground mobile infantry using hit and run tactics.
Like good old Pirate armada style Saudi Arabia should take and hold the southern tip of Yemen's soil next to Djibouti by landing with armored mobile marines from a naval fleet or hopping over from Djibouti, if allowed.
The goal is to dig in at the shore and first parts of the mountain range to secure the cargo route and to create a hub for refugees to bring them to secure African soil.
If that should not fix it, second phase is taking their core soil by taking the markets and towns that are base for ruling soil.
This is Taizz and the strategy applies for all towns in the mountain region.
The red zones are military only zones, the blue zones refugee zones. The red zones are the mountain tops and the blue zone two major valleys.
Using Chinooks and Parachutist the liberating forces need to take, hold and secure the mountain range building modern improvised fortresses stationing first light to heavy artillery based on their precision fire capabilities along with long and medium range snipers and later armored vehicles to possibly enter town in combat.
Using all available reconnaissance footage from satellite to airplane and large to small infantry drones the Islamist forces are taken under fire securing the access to the valleys where food and tent shelter is awaiting the refugees.
If the Islamist forces do not retreat or start taking hostages within civilians, suppressing fire needs to be intensified and guided by helicopters heavy armored vehicles from wheel to heavy tanks have to enter from the improvised mountain positions into the first rows of streets in town creating forward postions for commando infantry specialised in urban war fare.
Those postions than need to be used as hubs for the commando troops to take important positions in town based on clear and wide long firing range for snipers and precise mortars to hold and further take the enemy under fire, them receiving supply by air first and later by fast armoured ground transport vehicles establishing secure supply channels that can be also used by refugees leaving combat ground.
As soon attacks on the strategic positions and the supply routes drain down house to house searches need to start to collect and kill stray Islamist pockets waiting to get into Werewolf attacks after the peace deal.
I love Cyberpunk.....
Because I just have my hacker figure out which MegaCon fuck up is causing that war and kill them.
Langley is off limits -- for now -- in the Real World.
