Air campaign against Houthis under way in Yemen, says Saudi-led coalition
The Saudi-led coalition says about 100 fighter jets are taking part in an air campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. It reported strikes along the Red Sea coast and in Sana’a, the capital.
Coalition officials said the operation had established air protection over the Bab al-Mandab strait and hit hundreds of targets. They also claimed Houthi fighters were surrounded near Dhubab; Houthi sources denied reports of a retreat.
The government-aligned Giants Brigades began a ground offensive on the coast. Government forces said they had blocked the road linking Mocha and Dhubab, while reports described residents in Mocha sheltering indoors.
Government leader Rashad al-Alimi had announced a new offensive the previous day. The campaign follows political coordination between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, though the future status of southern Yemen remains unresolved.
The escalation comes as ministers from Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia meet in Riyadh to discuss Saudi security. The article says the countries have a joint defence pact, but its practical operation is unclear; Houthi sources also pointed to an explosion at a Saudi Aramco site as evidence of their ability to strike Saudi targets.
Key points
- The coalition says roughly 100 jets are targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.
- Government-aligned Giants Brigades have opened a ground offensive on the Red Sea coast.
- Regional ministers are discussing Saudi security, while the future governance of southern Yemen remains uncertain.