Yemeni government forces have claimed that 1,860 Houthi fighters have been “neutralised” since the launch of a major counter-offensive aimed at recapturing territory held by the rebel group. According to Al Jazeera, the spokesperson for the internationally recognised government’s army said in a social media post early Thursday that the……
Yemeni government forces have claimed that 1,860 Houthi fighters have been “neutralised” since the launch of a major counter-offensive aimed at recapturing territory held by the rebel group.
According to Al Jazeera, the spokesperson for the internationally recognised government’s army said in a social media post early Thursday that the forces had carried out 2,103 “precise targeting operations” against Houthi military positions across several fronts under the ongoing “Dawn of Yemen” operation.
The operation was announced on Sunday by Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, with the stated objective of retaking all territory controlled by the Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Iran-backed group has held since 2014.
Fighting has intensified in recent days around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route that has gained further importance for energy exports following restrictions on trade through the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict between the United States and Iran.
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Forces supporting the Yemeni government launched a fresh offensive on Tuesday to seize strategic positions near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and around the city of Mocha, which the Houthis captured in September.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition involved in the Yemen conflict said it destroyed 82 Houthi military targets in Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib governorates on Wednesday.
The coalition spokesperson said the targets included ballistic missile sites, including “11 mountain-based ballistic missile storages in Saada, command and control centres, communication systems, missile and weapons storages”.
The latest military operation followed Houthi attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, according to the coalition spokesperson.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the attacks on the two airports resulted in three deaths.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation said one person was killed and eight others wounded in the attack on King Khalid International Airport, while two people were killed and 28 wounded in attacks on facilities at Abha airport.
