ADEN: Yemeni government forces have carried out 744 strikes against Iran-backed Houthi positions over the past 24 hours, neutralizing an estimated 200 militia fighters in intensified military operations in Taiz and across several other fronts, a military spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Col. Majed Al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a post on X that government troops continued to push back Houthi fighters in Taiz as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, while maintaining pressure on the militia’s positions along the eastern, southern and western fronts.
The military also reported destroying or damaging 90 Houthi military vehicles and pieces of equipment during the operations, which targeted command and control centers, fortified positions, troop concentrations, reinforcements and supply routes.
Al-Nuzaili said the strikes were carried out using fighter jets, drones, field artillery, rocket launchers and sniper units, restricting the militia’s movements and preventing it from regrouping or making territorial gains.
He added that government forces were continuing the offensive in accordance with their operational plan, while taking precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The latest announcement follows intensified fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi militia following the launch of Operation Dawn of Yemen on Oct. 5.
The renewed offensive comes as Taiz faces a worsening humanitarian crisis following Houthi advances that have cut off major supply routes to the city.
Volker Turk, the UN’s human rights chief, warned on Tuesday that the closure of the main supply route connecting Taiz to Aden was placing civilians at grave risk by blocking humanitarian aid and restricting access to essential supplies.
The UN said at least 32 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed in fighting in Taiz between Aug. 1 and Oct. 19.
The escalation has also seen deadly Houthi attacks on government-held areas and Saudi Arabia.
Authorities on Tuesday raised the death toll from a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a military training camp in Shabwa province to 73, with more than 200 others injured.
The latest fighting has further strained Yemen’s humanitarian situation, with aid agencies warning that continued hostilities and road closures are preventing hundreds of thousands of people from receiving essential assistance.