More than 270 government soldiers and Houthi fighters killed in Yemen in one day — Dawn

More than 270 government soldiers and Houthi fighters have been killed in Yemen over the past 24 hours amid intensified fighting. Dawn reports, citing sources on both sides of the conflict.

Sources in Yemen’s internationally recognized government told AFP that 115 government forces soldiers were killed in a day, while dozens more were wounded in fighting and as a result of Houthi missile and drone attacks. Houthi military sources, in turn, reported the deaths of 160 of their fighters, mostly due to Saudi strikes on areas under their control.

Fighting in the southwest

The epicenter of the violence is located in the country’s southwest, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Hostilities intensified after government forces launched a counteroffensive aimed at retaking territories seized by the Houthis last month.

Government forces reported advances in several directions and the expulsion of the Houthis from a number of areas in Taiz province. At the same time, military sources linked to the government did not confirm that the city of Mocha had been brought back under control, reporting only that its sole supply route had been blocked.

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The Houthis deny losing territory. Their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the group retains control over all areas seized last month along the Red Sea coast. He also reported dozens of strikes on government forces in the Al-Jawf and Marib regions and in Taiz province.

Attacks on Saudi Arabia

The Houthis said they attacked Riyadh’s main airport and an oil refinery of the state-owned company Aramco on Monday. Residents of the Saudi capital reported loud explosions on Monday evening and another explosion on Tuesday. Saudi authorities have not publicly confirmed strikes on King Khalid Airport.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait, where an air base is located. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority also reported at least three people wounded in attacks on the airports of Jizan and Najran near the border with Yemen.

The Houthi Health Ministry said a Saudi airstrike in Hajjah province killed six members of one family, including four children. According to the UN, the Houthi campaign along the Red Sea coast has forced more than 184,000 people to flee their homes.