950 Houthi fighters killed, 380 vehicles destroyed in offensive: Yemen govt forces

Sanaa, Yemen — The internationally recognized government announced that its forces executed 1,879 operations against the Iran-backed Houthis across various fronts as part of the ongoing "Dawn of Yemen" offensive. Colonel Majeed al-Nuzaili, military spokesperson, declared that these operations resulted in the deaths of 950 Houthi fighters and the destruction or disabling of 380 military vehicles.

The exact figures could not be independently confirmed, and the Houthis did not provide an immediate response. The operations targeted Houthi positions, command centers, weapons depots, and other military assets, according to Yemen Monitor, an independent news outlet based in Cairo. The offensive aimed to reclaim territory under Houthi control, including the capital, Sanaa, where government troops have been pushing for months.

The assault involved warplanes, drones, artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and sniper units, targeting defensive positions, fortifications, command-and-control centers, artillery and rocket launcher sites, observation posts, troop concentrations, weapons depots, and supplies. The "Dawn of Yemen" operation, launched on October 5 by Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, seeks to restore state institutions, retake Sanaa, and put an end to the Houthi coup, according to the government.

The conflict has centered on Yemen’s western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial maritime passage connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Government-aligned forces claim advances around Bab al-Mandeb, Dhubab, and Mokha, although the Houthis have disputed some of these battlefield assertions. The Houthis took control of Sanaa in 2014, sparking a war that has drawn in a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The ongoing conflict has fragmented the nation and exacerbated a severe humanitarian crisis. Previously, Yemen's armed forces reported that the offensive had neutralized additional Houthi fighters and destroyed or disabled over 180 vehicles. The Saudi-led coalition further joined the Yemen government's offensive against the Houthis, claiming they destroyed 136 Houthi targets, and reported that 218 Houthi militants were killed near Yemen's Marib.