Alliance: Destruction of 136 Houthi Military Targets

Washington, Agencies: The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced the destruction of 136 military targets in areas controlled by the Houthi terrorist militia. It affirmed that it is working to dismantle and destroy the Houthi ballistic missile network. The coalition stressed that it is providing 24-hour air support to units of the Yemeni Armed Forces, noting the execution of a wide-ranging operation targeting elements and capabilities of the Houthi terrorist militia.

This escalation comes a day after Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that three of its citizens were killed in two attacks that targeted Riyadh Airport on Thursday, raising the number of fatalities in the kingdom to six during the week, amid escalating attacks attributed to the Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi facilities and infrastructure.

Alongside the military escalation, Pakistan confirmed that its military forces and resources stationed in Saudi Arabia would be used to defend the kingdom’s territory and protect its sovereignty, and would not cross the Yemeni border to launch attacks on the Houthis. Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated that the Pakistani military presence in Saudi Arabia has been ongoing since 1982, clarifying that the Mecca Alliance, comprising Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, aims to defend the three countries against attacks and enhance their deterrent capabilities.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the execution of more than 2,750 precise targeting operations during the past 24 hours as part of the "Fajr al-Yemen" operation. These strikes hit fortifications and defensive positions, advanced observation and reconnaissance points, field artillery emplacements, weapons and ammunition depots, supply and logistics warehouses, and Houthi military reinforcements across various combat axes and fronts, in addition to legitimate and high-value military targets deep within areas controlled by the militia.

Official spokesperson for the Armed Forces, Colonel Majid al-Nazili, stated in a briefing that, according to initial field assessments, the operations neutralized more than 1,400 Houthi militia members and destroyed or damaged more than 250 combat vehicles, weapons, and military equipment, thereby weakening their ability to maneuver, provide support, and sustain combat operations. Al-Nazili added that, in parallel with the air campaign, ground forces succeeded in breaching Houthi defenses and fortifications, reclaiming operational sites and key positions, consolidating their field gains, and continuing to develop the offensive in accordance with operational plans.

Air raids under the "Fajr al-Yemen" operation continued against Houthi militia sites in Sanaa, coinciding with the repulsion of a Houthi attack in Taiz Governorate. Yemeni sources said explosions emanating from tunnels on Mount Sar'ah on the outskirts of Nahm district in Sanaa Governorate began following an air strike targeting the area, noting that the tunnels are believed to house Houthi weapons depots.

In Taiz, the Yemeni Armed Forces, backed by resistance forces, thwarted a violent Houthi militia assault on their positions in the Al-Masrak area, south of Taiz Governorate. Sources reported that fierce clashes erupted around Mount Dahiya and the villages of Al-Dhanib, Al-Qahfa, and Al-Damna, before spreading to the strategic heights of Tabbah Abdullah Ghalib.

On the Bab al-Mandab front, a military source revealed that the Houthi group had planted a large number of mines in the area and erected concrete blocks on roads in an attempt to hinder the movements of advancing Yemeni forces. He added that engineering units continued field clearance operations to defuse mines and improvised explosive devices, securing areas and roads that had been reclaimed.

Yemeni government forces had announced the completion of their control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Mun Island, coinciding with clashes fought by the Southern Giants forces against elements of the Houthi group in the Dhobab area, which ended with the capture of several group members.