Members of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces patrol a road leading to a frontline of clashes with Iran-aligned Houthi fighters.
The operation follows a rapid Houthi advance in southwestern Yemen and along the Red Sea coastline. The rebels captured the key town of Turbah on Sunday, shortly before the government announced its military offensive.
Turki al-Malki said the coalition was providing “full operational support” to government forces. He said around 100 fighter jets were supporting the campaign and that the coalition had established “air protection” over the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Institute for the Study of War said the capture of Turbah could seriously restrict the ability of government-aligned forces to reinforce positions around Taiz. “Disrupting resupply has military value, of course, but controlling all the roads in and out of areas to the north of Turbah also prevents government forces from retreating out of the city,” the Washington-based think tank said. The Giants Brigades, a government-allied faction, also announced a “decisive military operation against the Houthi militias” in the Bab el-Mandeb area. Al-Malki said the coalition would continue supporting Yemeni government forces until the Houthis are “eliminated. Yemen’s health ministry, which is aligned with the internationally recognised government, said medical facilities in coastal, western and southern parts of the province had either closed or were functioning only partially.
Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Saudi Arabia’s intervention marks a major escalation. The renewed fighting has also severely affected healthcare in Taiz.
Saudi-backed forces said on Monday that they had begun attacks on Houthi positions around Dhubab, a coastal town near the strait.
