Yemeni government forces say they carried out 181 military operations against Houthi targets in 24 hours, using drones, artillery and rocket launchers….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Yemeni government forces said on Sunday they had launched 181 military operations against Houthi targets over a 24-hour period, signalling a sharp escalation in fighting across the war-torn country.
Government military spokesperson Majid al-Nuzaili said the operations targeted Houthi-held areas across seven provinces. Drones, artillery and rocket launchers were used to strike Houthi positions, weapons depots, military vehicles and other facilities allegedly used to launch attacks.
Al-Nuzaili said dozens of Houthi members were killed or wounded and military equipment was destroyed during the operations. He did not provide a specific casualty figure.
The government spokesperson said the latest military campaign was launched in response to what he described as a recent wave of Houthi attacks targeting government forces, civilian infrastructure, economic facilities and ports.
The escalation came as the Houthi group also claimed an attack on the government-held city of Marib in the oil-rich Marib province on Saturday evening.
Pro-government media reported that the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles towards neighbourhoods in Marib city. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The state-run Saba TV channel, which is based in Marib, reported the missile strikes. Residents contacted by Xinhua News Agency said they heard several loud explosions across the city around the reported time of the attack.
The latest exchanges reflect an intensification of hostilities after a period in which fighting had eased compared with the most active phases of Yemen’s long-running conflict.
The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks in recent weeks against areas controlled by the Yemeni government, as well as targets in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a major supporter of the Yemeni government.
The group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping on July 20 and has since claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and energy facilities inside Saudi Arabia.
The renewed violence has raised concerns over the wider regional impact of Yemen’s conflict, particularly because attacks involving missiles, drones and shipping routes can affect neighbouring countries and strategically important maritime corridors.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthi movement seized large parts of the north, including the capital, Sanaa.
The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The conflict has since caused a major humanitarian crisis and drawn in regional powers.
The latest military operations mark one of the more significant reported escalations in recent fighting, with government forces claiming strikes across seven provinces within a single day.
The Houthis have not provided an immediate detailed response to the Yemeni government’s claim of 181 operations or its reported casualty figures.
