The Saudi-led military coalition said on Monday that 100 fighter jets took part in the launch of "Dawn of Yemen", a major offensive backing Yemen's internationally recognised government in its campaign to retake territory from the Iran-aligned Houthis.
Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said the alliance had destroyed 324 "high-value" Houthi targets since the operation began, and was providing round-the-clock air support to Yemeni ground forces as well as air cover for ships transiting the Bab Al Mandeb strait. Strikes against moving targets were continuing.
Government forces claim key gains
Yemen's armed forces claimed on Monday that their units had secured control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Dhubab area overlooking the sea lane, and the strategic port city of Mokha, after fierce fighting. Military spokesman Col Majed Al Nuzaili said the Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield Forces had taken Dhubab airport and cut the road linking Dhubab with Mokha. State news agency Saba reported that Mokha, held by the Houthis since early September, fell after battles at several locations around the city.
The government also announced a "strategic offensive" on the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, with advanced capabilities. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV confirmed attacks on Sanaa, and the Houthi-run Health Ministry said air strikes had killed a woman on a farm in Sanhan and a girl in a car attack in Sawan that injured seven other people. These battlefield claims could not immediately be independently verified.
Operation's stated aim
Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said the operation was launched to restore state institutions, retake Sanaa and end the Houthi "coup", declaring that Yemen would march toward "a new dawn of freedom, peace and stability." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sided with the Saudi and Yemeni governments, saying Riyadh had a right to defend itself after coming under Houthi attack.
The Houthis responded by warning airlines that Saudi airspace would not be safe while the offensive continued. The escalation follows weeks of fighting along multiple front lines and the Houthis' seizure of coastal areas and Perim Island in the Bab Al Mandeb last month. The Bab Al Mandeb, the Red Sea's southern gateway, has grown even more critical as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed by the Iran conflict.
The World Health Organization said more than 5,000 casualties had been recorded in Yemen since August 6, including 959 deaths, while nearly 200,000 people have been displaced.
Sources:
- Yemeni forces claim control of Bab Al Mandeb strait and Mokha in major offensive against Houthis
- 100 Saudi-led coalition jets join Yemen Dawn offensive against Houthis
Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said the alliance had destroyed 324 "high-value" Houthi targets since the operation began, and was providing round-the-clock air support to Yemeni ground forces as well as air cover for ships transiting the Bab Al Mandeb strait. Strikes against moving targets were continuing.
Government forces claim key gains
Yemen's armed forces claimed on Monday that their units had secured control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Dhubab area overlooking the sea lane, and the strategic port city of Mokha, after fierce fighting. Military spokesman Col Majed Al Nuzaili said the Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield Forces had taken Dhubab airport and cut the road linking Dhubab with Mokha. State news agency Saba reported that Mokha, held by the Houthis since early September, fell after battles at several locations around the city.
The government also announced a "strategic offensive" on the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, with advanced capabilities. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV confirmed attacks on Sanaa, and the Houthi-run Health Ministry said air strikes had killed a woman on a farm in Sanhan and a girl in a car attack in Sawan that injured seven other people. These battlefield claims could not immediately be independently verified.
Operation's stated aim
Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said the operation was launched to restore state institutions, retake Sanaa and end the Houthi "coup", declaring that Yemen would march toward "a new dawn of freedom, peace and stability." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sided with the Saudi and Yemeni governments, saying Riyadh had a right to defend itself after coming under Houthi attack.
The Houthis responded by warning airlines that Saudi airspace would not be safe while the offensive continued. The escalation follows weeks of fighting along multiple front lines and the Houthis' seizure of coastal areas and Perim Island in the Bab Al Mandeb last month. The Bab Al Mandeb, the Red Sea's southern gateway, has grown even more critical as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed by the Iran conflict.
The World Health Organization said more than 5,000 casualties had been recorded in Yemen since August 6, including 959 deaths, while nearly 200,000 people have been displaced.
Sources:
- Yemeni forces claim control of Bab Al Mandeb strait and Mokha in major offensive against Houthis
- 100 Saudi-led coalition jets join Yemen Dawn offensive against Houthis
