Fighting raged across Yemen on Tuesday as forces loyal to the internationally recognised government reported killing and wounding at least 190 Houthi fighters. Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for the government forces, said the casualties resulted from hundreds of air and artillery strikes.
The military campaign targeted Houthi positions across Lahij, Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf, Hajjah and al-Bayda governorates. Government forces executed at least 29 air strikes and 39 drone attacks, alongside 62 rocket launches and 744 artillery bombardments.
Initial field reports indicate that about 190 Houthi commanders and fighters were killed or injured, according to al-Nuzaili. He added that up to 130 combat vehicles and assets used by the Iran-allied group were damaged or destroyed.
The internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a counteroffensive named Operation Dawn of Yemen. The campaign aims to reclaim territory lost to the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, in September. The Saudi-led coalition has supported the ground operations with air strikes.
Meanwhile, the Houthis reported that Saudi-backed forces launched 109 air strikes and missile attacks on Tuesday. The raids struck the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, as well as Houthi positions in al-Jawf, Saada, Taiz, Lahij and Marib.
Yahya Saree, the Houthi spokesman, stated that these raids killed and wounded a large number of women and children. Saree also claimed that Houthi fighters inflicted numerous casualties on government-aligned troops during clashes in the al-Madaribah and Ras al-Ara areas of Lahij governorate.
Saree reported that dozens of additional government soldiers were killed or wounded in attacks in al-Jawf earlier in the day. The Houthi spokesman said the group targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq within the kingdom’s Eastern province.
The Saudi-led coalition announced earlier on Tuesday that it intercepted two missiles fired toward Riyadh. The coalition also intercepted another projectile aimed at the southern region of the kingdom.
The escalation in Yemen occurs alongside broader regional tensions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. According to World Health Organization figures, at least 1,771 people have died in hostilities across Yemen since August. The fighting has also left at least 7,959 people wounded and displaced more than 300,000 residents.
