Yemeni government’s military says its forces advancing against Houthis

Yemen's internationally recognized government announced that its armed forces have made significant territorial progress against Houthi rebels, reporting extensive casualties among the Iran-aligned group following intense combat operations across the country.

According to government military spokesperson Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, loyalist forces killed at least 1,150 Houthi fighters during nearly 2,000 targeted strikes and engagements over a 24-hour window. The actions were conducted as part of a campaign titled Operation Dawn of Yemen. Military authorities also reported the destruction of multiple Houthi ammunition depots alongside at least 180 vehicles used for combat, transport, and logistical support. The reported battlefield figures could not be independently confirmed.

Government ground troops, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, are pushing to reclaim key territory along the Red Sea coast, particularly near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Heavy fighting has centered around the southern coastal cities of Mocha and Dhubab, areas critical for securing maritime access to the vital international shipping corridor. Control over the passage remains disputed after Houthi fighters captured the surrounding zone in September.

The escalation coincides with heightened regional hostilities following a strike on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries as well as widespread flight cancellations. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for that incident, but the group had previously cautioned commercial airlines against entering Saudi airspace, declaring that planes flying outside the vicinity of Mecca and Medina would be treated as potential targets.

In Washington, United States President Donald Trump addressed the Riyadh airport strike, telling reporters at the White House that he would reach a determination soon regarding whether American forces would take part in retaliatory operations against the Houthis.

Meanwhile, the conflict threatens to expand beyond Yemen's borders. Reporting indicates Houthi leaders are readying for confrontations on multiple fronts, warning third-party nations against aiding Saudi Arabia. The group stated that should Pakistan take part in any military actions against them on Riyadh's behalf, it would face retaliation, including prospective ballistic missile launches toward Pakistani territory and attacks on Pakistani-flagged maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

Security analysts caution that the conflict is entering an increasingly volatile phase. Baraa Shiban, an associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, observed that the violence shows no signs of subsiding, pointing out that an absence of regional or local diplomatic mediators leaves little room to de-escalate the expanding confrontation.