Yemen’s internationally recognised government has intensified air and ground operations against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in the southwestern governorate of Taiz, its military media centre said on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera.
The military media centre, quoted by Al Jazeera, said government forces carried out air raids on Houthi positions in five locations across Taiz and launched several ground operations during the 24-hour period. The centre said dozens of Houthi fighters, including field commanders, were killed or wounded, and that several Houthi military vehicles were damaged.
The media centre listed a number of areas where operations took place, naming al-Waziiya in the west, weapons sites and ammunition depots at Mafraq Mawiya and al-Dhukrah in the east, a Houthi gathering in Hayfan in the south and attacks on military vehicles in Gurab in the northwest. It also said government forces thwarted infiltration attempts on the al-Ahtoub front and in Hadran while shelling Houthi gatherings on the al-Kadha and al-Aqroud fronts.
Al Jazeera cautioned it could not independently verify battlefield claims. The outlet added that government forces reported taking control of several areas and higher ground in southern Taiz, including Jabal Bazel, which the government said puts Houthi supply lines within target range.
Since fighting resumed in July, Al Jazeera reported that more than 146,000 people have been displaced. The report said the Houthis have made recent territorial gains, seizing the Red Sea port city of Mocha and expanding their hold over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, has called on citizens to mobilise and join the fight against the Houthis, Al Jazeera reported, saying the government has stepped up operations to halt Houthi advances and reclaim lost territory.
The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of using Iranian air defence weapons that it says endanger aircraft and civil aviation. Brigadier-General Majed al-Nazili, the government forces’ spokesperson, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying on social media that “the weapons employed are capable of attacking military or civilian targets without the ability to distinguish between them, thereby endangering the safety of civil aviation and the lives of passengers.”
Al Jazeera also reported regional reactions. It said Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has sought support from allies including Pakistan and Turkiye. Early on Saturday, a Saudi-led coalition said its air defence systems intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh and Khamis Mushait.
At the UN General Assembly, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud called for international condemnation of Houthi actions, while Yemeni Vice-President Abdullah Abdulkader al-Alimi-Bawzer was quoted as saying the Houthis were using shipping security “as a tool for blackmail” and that “It is taking hostage the entire global economy.” The Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general, Jassim Mohammed al-Budaiwi, was quoted in strong terms condemning recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Al Jazeera’s reporting noted Tehran has denied any role in the Yemen conflict. The outlet also reported that the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed by Iranian measures since the United States and Israel began their war with Iran in February.
Featured image: Ansar Allah (Houthis) via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Leave a comment