National Resistance Forces
| National Resistance Forces | |
|---|---|
| المقاومة الوطنية اليمنية | |
 | |
Leader | |
| Spokesperson | Sadiq al-Duwaid |
| Dates active | December 2017 – present |
| Groups | Guardians of the Republic Southern Giants Brigades  Tihamah Resistance |
| Headquarters | |
| Active regions | Yemen |
| Ideology | anti-Houthis Arab nationalism |
| Size | 3,000–10,000[2] |
| Wars | Yemeni Civil War |
The National Resistance Forces (Arabic: المقاومة الوطنية اليمنية, romanized: Al-Muqawamat al-Wataniyah al-Yamaniyah), also called Guards of the Republic,[3] is a coalition of former members of the Yemeni Republican Guard and Central Security Organization commanded by Tareq Saleh, nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and loyal to the Hadi-led government fighting against the Houthi movement in the Yemeni civil war.[3]
Organization
[edit]Founded after the Battle of Sanaa (2017) with support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE),[2] the National Resistance consists[4] of the private army of Tareq Saleh, generally known as "Guardians of the Republic", formed from former members of the Republican Guard and the Central Security Organization.[2][5][6] Highly experienced veterans,[2] they are widely regarded to be among the best equipped and trained troops in the anti-Houthi coalition,[4] and have significantly boosted the military strength of the Hadi government. The group is closely allied with Tihamah Resistance and Southern Movement's Giants Brigades.[2] However, the "Guardians of the Republic" are only loyal to Tareq Saleh,[2][5] and have no real loyalty to President Hadi.[4] As result, they have been criticized and even attacked by anti-Saleh forces in Yemen, such as the Southern Movement and the citizens of Taiz.[7][8][9]
Furthermore, The National reported that two more groups were part of the National Resistance: The Giants Brigades, also known as Al Amalaqah Brigades, and the Tihamah Resistance.[4] The later are Popular Resistance forces[5] from Aden and Lahij Governorate that enjoy strong UAE support and were fiercely loyal to late Ali Abdullah Saleh. The second militia mostly consists of tribal fighters who are from al Hudaydah and surroundings, and are deeply hostile to the Houthis.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Sheikh Hammoud Saeed al-Mekhlafi accuses Arab coalition of closing ports in the faces of Taiz wounded".
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Tareq Saleh's National Resistance Forces - Acled Data". 10 May 2018.
- 1 2 "Actor Profile: National Resistance Forces | Yemen Conflict Observatory". ACLED. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gareth Browne (14 June 2018). "Who are the Yemeni ground forces fighting in Hodeidah?". The National (Abu Dhabi). Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Fog of war clouds Hodeidah airport as media disagree about who controls site". Middle East Eye. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ↑ "Tariq Ali Saleh's forces create new reality on the ground in Yemen - Saleh Baidhani - AW".
- ↑ WAM (22 May 2018). "Yemeni National Resistance Forces advance on Red Sea coast". Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ↑ WAM (19 April 2018). "Yemeni National Resistance Forces launch military campaign on Red Sea Coast". Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ↑ "Yemen's National Resistance Forces liberate Al Hayma seaport". 13 May 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.