Yemen army says 1,382 strikes 'neutralized' 440 Houthi fighters

Heavy Strikes in Taiz

Yemen's armed forces announced late Tuesday that they had carried out 1,382 strikes against Houthi positions "in recent hours," describing the attacks as "precise and direct" and claiming to have "neutralized" approximately 440 fighters and commanders while securing new territorial gains in the southwestern Taiz governorate. Army spokesman Col. Majed al-Nuzaili detailed the operations on the social media platform X, stating that attacks targeted "field command centers, fortifications, sources of fire, troop concentrations and reserves as well as reinforcements, transport and supply assets belonging to the terrorist Houthi militia."

In Taiz governorate, army units and Popular Resistance forces backed by warplanes carried out coordinated airstrikes and ground attacks using various tactical methods, al-Nuzaili said. The operations thwarted Houthi attempts to retake positions they had lost, resulting in new advances on the ground and stronger fire control over several strategic positions and highlands.

Multi-Front Offensive

On the Bab al-Mandab, Dhubab and Al-Mudhariba fronts in Taiz, army forces repelled Houthi infiltration attempts and targeted their reinforcements and military vehicles. Al-Nuzaili added that army units continued offensive operations along the northern and northwestern approaches to the capital Sanaa and on the eastern front, supported by armored vehicles, artillery and drones.

These strikes targeted Houthi movements, command centers, weapons positions, ammunition depots and fortifications. The attacks have limited the group's ability to maneuver and move reinforcements between fronts, al-Nuzaili said, noting that simultaneous military operations would continue across the front lines to secure further gains while precautions were being taken to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Operation Dawn of Yemen

The Houthis did not immediately comment on the Yemeni army's statement. The latest operations come amid a military escalation that began in July, described as the most extensive since the relative calm that followed the start of a truce in April 2022.

Operation Dawn of Yemen has been underway since Oct. 5. Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said the operation aims to restore state institutions from Houthi control and take control of Sanaa. Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014, triggering a civil war that prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.