Dozens of civilians were wounded in Houthi missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia overnight, as fighting between the Iranian-backed terrorist group and Yemeni government forces continued to intensify on several fronts.
A Saudi statement issued Tuesday morning said that the Houthis targeted four cities in southern Saudi Arabia - Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran - leaving 73 civilians wounded, including women and children.
Saudi authorities said that all necessary measures would be taken to deter the Houthis and defend the kingdom's sovereignty.
The Houthis said Tuesday that they had launched drones and missiles toward southern Saudi Arabia.
The attacks came amid some of the heaviest fighting in Yemen in years. Since Thursday, the Houthis have carried out a ground offensive alongside missile and drone attacks against areas along the Red Sea coast and near Taiz, as they seek to advance toward territory close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait that remains under government control.
Dozens of people on both sides have been killed or wounded during several days of fighting.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces expanded their operations against the Houthis on Monday, reporting advances on several fronts alongside intensified airstrikes and ground fighting.
In Al Jawf, Yemeni forces began entering areas that had previously been controlled by the Houthis following strikes against Houthi positions. The Yemeni military also targeted the Al Yatmah area with rocket launchers ahead of an expected advance by government troops and local tribes.
Government forces also struck Houthi concentrations in the Damt district of Al Dhale province, while Yemeni aircraft carried out strikes against Houthi positions on the Hamir-Maqbanah front in Taiz.
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Col. Majed al-Nuzaili said government forces were continuing to advance in Al Jawf and Al Bayda.
In Al Bayda, Yemeni forces advanced toward new positions and reached the outskirts of Dhi Na'im in preparation for entering the area. Yemeni warplanes carried out 25 strikes against Houthi positions in the province.
The Yemeni military also reported advances in Taiz and Hodeidah, where forces regained and consolidated positions and thwarted an attempted Houthi infiltration.
In Marib, Yemeni aircraft struck the Houthis' strategic Umm Rish camp south of the city, while government forces carried out intensive artillery strikes against Houthi positions in the province.
The Houthis, meanwhile, fired a ballistic missile toward Mokha, with the projectile reportedly striking near a hospital. Another Houthi ballistic missile targeted a displaced persons center in the Raghwan district of Marib, killing two children.
Yemeni forces subsequently widened their operations in Marib and Al Jawf and issued instructions against using several roads and routes in the two provinces while military operations continued.
Yemeni Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Muhaya said the air force would continue providing support for ground troops with additional sorties, noting the growing role of drones in the fighting.
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Monday praised what he described as the armed forces' victories in Al Jawf, Al Bayda, Taiz, and Hodeidah, saying the government remained committed to extending its authority throughout Yemen.
Al-Alimi said the Yemeni military had demonstrated its ability to deter the Houthis and regain the initiative, while praising the contribution of the country's air force and drone units to operations on the ground.
He warned that the Houthis had chosen military escalation and would have to bear the consequences.
Al-Alimi also said Yemeni authorities would not allow the country to be used as a base for threatening maritime routes, amid the fighting around areas near the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.
No comments:
Post a Comment