Yemeni forces claim to have killed 558 Houthi fighters
Yemeni government forces have captured new positions in Taiz as they intensify their offensive against Houthi fighters, carrying out 1,164 strikes and neutralising 558 militia members over the past 24 hours, a military spokesperson said.
Majed Al Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, on Monday said government troops had forced Houthi fighters to retreat under heavy air and artillery support as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen.
The operations also destroyed or damaged 135 Houthi military vehicles and pieces of equipment, targeting troop concentrations, reinforcements, fortifications and supply routes, Al Nuzaili said in a post on X.
The strikes involved fighter jets, drones, field artillery, rocket launchers and sniper units, disrupting Houthi firing positions and supply lines, he added.
Government forces also pressed their offensive on southern fronts and in Shabwa province, restricting Houthi movements and preventing the group from regrouping or bringing in reinforcements, Arab News said in a report.
Along the western coast and near the strategic Bab El Mandeb Strait, government troops repelled Houthi advances and struck troop assembly areas and firing positions, according to the spokesperson.
Al Nuzaili said the reported casualties included field commanders and that government forces were continuing to expand their territorial gains.
He added that precautions had been taken to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, describing the targets as legitimate military objectives.
The latest announcement comes amid escalating fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Iran-backed Houthis since the launch of Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 5.
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen has provided air support for the offensive, which aims to retake Houthi-held territory and restore government control over state institutions, including in the capital, Sanaa.
The escalation has also brought renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government positions.
Al Nuzaili said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at a military camp in Shabwa on Monday.
Separately, the coalition warned the Houthis against using traditional maritime vessels to smuggle weapons, missiles and military equipment into Yemen, saying such activities threatened national and regional security and endangered civilian lives.
It also urged boat owners not to cooperate with the group in arms-smuggling operations along Yemen’s coast, warning that doing so could put their lives and property at risk.