Major offensive launched in Yemen as Houthis accused of Taiz massacre

A large-scale military offensive has been launched across several fronts in Yemen, with Yemeni government forces claiming to have seized key positions around the Bab Al Mandeb strait and the Dhubab area. According to the Saudi-led coalition, 100 fighter jets are taking part in the anti-Houthi offensive, providing round-the-clock air support to Yemeni armed forces on the ground and air cover for the Bab Al Mandeb strait.

The coalition spokesman, Maj Gen Turki Al Malki, said 324 "high-value" Houthi targets had been destroyed in the offensive.

The Yemeni government forces, supported by the Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield Forces, have carried out a flanking manoeuvre to take control of Bab Al Mandeb, and have also taken control of Dhubab airport and cut off the road linking Dhubab with Mokha. Hundreds of Houthi fighters were surrounded in Dhubab and have been called on to surrender, while some fighters fled by boat, according to Yemeni colonel Col Majed Al Nuzaili. The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV has confirmed attacks on the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa.

Military sources report that the offensive aims to retake all territory held by the Houthis, who have made fresh gains in recent weeks, capturing swathes of the country's Red Sea coastline and territory around the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The conflict has resulted in a vast humanitarian crisis, with over 145,000 people forced to flee their homes and hundreds of combatants killed on both sides.

Brief written by urgent.news from Ajel English, The National Business, The National UAE, New Straits Times, Gulf News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.