Middle East latest: Saudi-led coalition says wide-ranging operation carried out in Yemen

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen has initiated a major offensive targeting 136 Houthi military objectives in regions under Houthi control, according to a Friday night announcement. Major General Turki Al-Maliki, a coalition spokesman, stated that the operation aims to weaken Houthi fighters and military assets as part of an intensified push to back Yemeni government forces.

The coalition is complementing its ground operations with continuous aerial support across various battlefronts. Al-Maliki also mentioned that the coalition is actively dismantling the Houthis' missile infrastructure, a move aimed at reducing the group's capacity to launch future attacks.

These developments coincide with the Yemeni government's intensified offensive, under Operation Dawn of Yemen, launched earlier this week. The campaign seeks to reclaim Houthi-occupied territories and reestablish government control. Earlier on Friday, Yemen's Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Majed Abdullah Al-Nadhib reported that government forces conducted over 2,750 strikes against Houthi positions within the previous 24 hours.

Al-Nadhib estimated that more than 1,400 Houthi fighters were eliminated, and over 250 vehicles and equipment were destroyed or damaged during these strikes.

The coalition's air support has been instrumental in the Yemeni government's advance against Houthi strongholds, with the broader objective of reclaiming the capital, Sanaa, and restoring state institutions. This offensive, announced by the Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi on Monday, is part of broader efforts to dismantle Houthi control over government-held areas in Yemen.