Yemen's Army Claims 700 Houthi Casualties in Recent Strikes
Yemen's military reports extensive operations against Houthi forces, resulting in significant casualties and strategic gains.
Yemen's army conducted hundreds of strikes, claiming 700 Houthi deaths.
Key military operations focused on Sanaa and Taiz, with heavy fighting reported.
The al-Houban crossing has been closed due to security concerns following Houthi attacks.
In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Yemen's army announced on Saturday that it has executed hundreds of military strikes against Houthi positions, resulting in the deaths of approximately 700 rebels. These operations primarily targeted the capital, Sanaa, and other regions controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, as the struggle for dominance in Yemen's most populated areas intensifies.
Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, spokesperson for Yemen's internationally recognized government forces, detailed that the military conducted 257 precision strikes aimed at Houthi military capabilities. The operations utilized a variety of military assets, including warplanes, drones, and artillery, to achieve their objectives. Al-Nazili emphasized that these strikes significantly diminished the Houthis' ability to launch attacks against civilian populations.
The recent military actions were concentrated around key locations such as Taiz, Midi, and Baqim, with the heaviest fighting reported in the vicinity of Taiz city. Al-Nazili indicated that the operations on Friday alone resulted in nearly 500 military engagements, leading to over 1,500 Houthi casualties within a single day. While the military spokesman did not report any casualties among government forces, the impact of these operations on Houthi combat effectiveness was noted as substantial.
The situation in Taiz has become increasingly dire, with reports of intense clashes and civilian casualties. Al Jazeera's correspondent in the region noted that residents are calling for evacuation as artillery fire continues to threaten their safety. The Houthis have been employing heavy artillery in their assaults, leading to tragic incidents, including the death of a child from shrapnel injuries in a residential area.
In response to the escalating violence, the Yemeni government has closed the al-Houban crossing, a critical route connecting Houthi-held territories to government-controlled areas. This crossing had been reopened in 2024 for humanitarian purposes but was shut down again due to security threats posed by Houthi infiltration attempts. The ongoing conflict, which reignited after a fragile truce collapsed in July, has led to widespread displacement, with hundreds of thousands of people affected since the resurgence of fighting in mid-September.
