'Fajr al-Yemen': Continuing Military Pressure on the Houthis
The Yemeni military operation “Fajr al-Yemen” (Yemen Dawn) entered its sixth day, as government forces announced the completion of their control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the strategic Mayun Island, and the consolidation of their positions on the heights overlooking the international waterway, a development that strengthens their foothold on the western coast. This coincided with ongoing fighting in the southern and western suburbs of Taiz, and an expansion of airstrikes targeting Houthi positions and movements in several Yemeni governorates. In Taiz province, government forces continued their operations on the Wazie’a front to the west, aiming to secure the highlands and tighten the noose around Houthi positions in the areas surrounding Dhubab and the Amri camp, paving the way for further advances toward Al-Mukha, according to field data.
Alongside these ground developments, Colonel Majid al-Nazili, the official spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, announced that 1,729 targeting operations had been carried out against Houthi military targets under “Fajr al-Yemen,” stating that these strikes neutralized 1,370 militants and destroyed or damaged 300 military vehicles, equipment, and means. According to local reports, the airstrikes extended to eight governorates, while clashes continued on the fronts in Lahij, Marib, and Al-Jawf.
For its part, the United Nations strongly condemned the continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the recent strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday, which resulted in casualties among citizens and residents. The UN spokesperson emphasized that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Saudi Arabia stressed that it will not allow Yemen to be turned into a platform for threatening its security or the freedom of maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and that it cannot be accepted that a terrorist militia imposes its will on Yemen and the region by force of arms.
This statement was made by Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Abdulaziz al-Wasile, during his address to the UN Security Council in New York at a session on the situation in Yemen. He affirmed that the Houthi escalation, their targeting of civilians, and their threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait constitute a threat that transcends Yemen and the region, extending its impact to international peace and security, global trade movements, and international supply chains.
Al-Wasile stated that the session was held “under delicate circumstances and significant developments that require addressing their risks and threats with the highest degree of responsibility,” adding that the rapid developments in Yemen and the continuous Houthi escalation impose increasing challenges on regional and international security, amid ongoing attacks on civilians and threats to maritime navigation, trade movements, and global supply chains.
