Yemeni military sources said on Saturday their forces were advancing against the Houthis in areas around the Bab al-Mandab strait but have not yet secured control of the waterway, after the government launched an operation to capture lost territory.
The Saudi-backed government last week announced a counter-offensive aimed at retaking all areas held by the Houthis, after the pro-Iran group seized Yemen’s entire western coastline in a lightning offensive.
Read moreYemen’s government declares counter-offensive as Houthis cut vital route to besieged city
The Houthis confirmed that government forces had attacked in the Bab al-Mandab area but they claimed to have repelled the assault.
“Saudi-led forces attempted to advance from the Ras al-Ara area in Lahj governorate towards the area south of Bab al-Mandab,” Hizam al-Asad, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, told AFP.
“However, our forces repelled them outside the Bab al-Mandab zone, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment and forcing the survivors to retreat.
“Our forces maintain control over Bab al-Mandab, Mayun Island, and the remaining areas along the country’s western coast,” he said.
Sources from the military of Yemen’s internationally recognised government also said Mayun Island – located in the heart of the strait – remained in Houthi hands as fighting continued.
Claims by the warring parties have been impossible to independently verify, with the situation moving fast on the ground and access for journalists difficult.
Clashes in western Yemen, specifically around the strait, had killed at least 63 people in the past 24 hours, military sources from both sides told AFP on Saturday.
Thirty-five members of government forces had been killed, while 28 Houthis had died, the sources said.
Conflict in Yemen: What are the Houthis’ aims?
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Early on Saturday, the coalition said it had destroyed more than 130 Houthi targets in a “large-scale operation”.
The Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV channel reported on Saturday that enemy strikes had targeted the Bab al-Mandab area.
It also reported four Saudi strikes on the capital Sanaa’s international airport on Saturday, a day after saying two were killed in a Saudi strike on the airport.
Houthis attack Riyadh airport with missile
In addition to battling Yemeni government forces on the ground, the Houthis have also been firing on targets inside Saudi Arabia, attacking transport hubs, oil facilities and other civilian sites with drones and missiles.
Read moreExplosions heard in Saudi capital Riyadh after Houthis’ deadly attacks on airports
A loud blast was heard at the airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday, according to an eyewitness and people briefed on the matter.
After initial reports of the explosion, a diplomatic source told AFP that it was the result of a missile fired by Houthis at the Riyadh airport at around 3:00pm local time.
“Houthis are attacking civilian targets. Riyadh airport is a civilian target,” said the source, who had been briefed on the matter.
At least five people were reportedly in intensive care after being wounded at Riyadh airport, a hospital source told AFP.
King Khalid International Airport also issued an advisory telling travellers to contact their respective airlines before heading there.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
