Yemeni forces, Houthis exchange attacks, claim to inflict heavy losses

In the ongoing conflict between Yemen's government forces and Houthi rebels, both sides have claimed significant losses following a series of intense air and artillery attacks. The Yemeni government reported that at least 190 Houthi fighters were killed or injured in hundreds of strikes across multiple governorates, including Lahij, Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf, Hajjah, and al-Bayda. Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for Yemen’s government forces, stated that over 29 air strikes, 39 drone attacks, 62 rockets, and 744 artillery attacks were carried out by government forces in retaliation against Houthi positions. However, these battlefield claims could not be independently verified.

The escalating violence comes amidst regional tensions sparked by the US-Israel war on Iran. Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a counteroffensive, Operation Dawn of Yemen, to reclaim territory lost to the Houthis in September. The Saudi-led coalition has supported this ground campaign with air strikes, while the Houthis have retaliated with missile attacks on the kingdom, targeting airports and oil facilities.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 1,771 people have been killed and 7,959 wounded since August, with over 300,000 displaced. The Houthis themselves reported that their forces came under heavy attacks on Tuesday, launching 109 air strikes and missile attacks on rebel-controlled Sanaa, as well as Houthi positions in al-Jawf, Saada, Taiz, Lahij, and Marib. Yahya Saree, the Houthi spokesman, claimed that a large number of women and children were among the casualties. The Houthis also targeted Riyadh and an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province.

The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting two missiles fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh and another aimed at the kingdom’s southern region on the same day. The ongoing clashes continue to pose a significant threat to regional stability and civilian populations, with no end in sight to the violence.