Yemen’s government says it has launched an offensive aimed at retaking all territory held by the Houthis (BBC)
The military said its forces had secured key positions around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait as part of the offensive aimed at pushing back recent Houthi advances along Yemen’s western coast.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were supporting the operation, while Yemeni forces said they had captured Dhubab airport, a key position south of the port city of Mokha. The offensive, dubbed Operation Yemen Dawn, was launched with Saudi air support as Yemeni government forces advanced along the Red Sea coast, with the military saying it had retaken key positions near the strategic waterway.
The Yemeni military also said its forces had recaptured the strategic port city of Mokha, a key position on the Red Sea coast. However, the claim could not be independently verified, with reports indicating that government forces had reached the city’s outskirts as Houthi fighters withdrew. Saudi Arabia condemned the Houthi attacks and called on the permanent members of the UN Security Council to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Meanwhile, Saudi allies Turkey and Pakistan held an emergency meeting in Riyadh and agreed to rapidly deploy military forces to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.