The military of Yemen’s internationally recognised government says it has killed hundreds of Houthi fighters in targeted operations over the past 24 hours. Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, the spokesman for Yemeni government forces, said at least 1,150 Houthis were killed in almost 2,000 targeted operations across the country as part of operation “Dawn of Yemen”. He said the army had destroyed Houthi ammunition dumps and at least 180 combat, transport and supply vehicles operated by the Houthis, adding that ground forces “continued to advance their assault”.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the information. An attack on King Khalid International airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Saturday killed and injured several people and led to flights being cancelled. When asked if the United States would join strikes against the Houthis after the attack, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he “will make a decision soon”.
Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry, reporting from Yemen on Saturday, said the Houthis had yet to claim responsibility for the latest attack. But the Iran-backed group has warned aviation companies to avoid using Saudi airspace, saying any aircraft operating there – except over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina – is a target. Mawry said the Houthis were preparing to fight the war on multiple fronts, including against the participation of international actors, such as Pakistan.
There are plans to launch ballistic missiles towards Pakistan and attack Pakistan-flagged vessels in the Red and Arabian seas, he added. The Saudi-backed Yemeni forces are advancing on the Houthis in a bid to recapture areas around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical trade route for global shipping into and out of the Red Sea. Battles are now raging around the strategic southern Yemeni cities of Mocha and Dhubab, which are on the Red Sea coast and strategically important for control of Bab al-Mandeb.
The Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and parts of northwestern Yemen since 2014, seized the area in September, effectively taking control of the strait, although both sides claim control of the shipping lanes.
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