Sanaa, October 10 (Daily Kiran) : Saudi Arabian fighter jets have intensified their airstrikes in Houthi-controlled regions of northwestern Yemen, particularly on Saturday. This escalation coincides with heightened fighting between Houthi rebels and government forces around the southwestern city of Taiz. Reports from Houthi-affiliated media and government military sources confirm the attacks.
According to Al-Masirah TV, six airstrikes targeted the Abs district in Hajjah province, resulting in injuries to three individuals. Heavy bombardment was also reported in several villages within the Bani Hatab area. The channel accused the Saudi forces of using cluster bombs in some of the strikes.
In the neighboring province of Hodeidah, Saudi jets targeted a station of the Yemen Petroleum Company in the Bajil district along the Red Sea coast, although no casualties have been reported so far. The Saudi government has not commented on these attacks.
The airstrikes come amid intensifying clashes around Taiz, where recent advances by Houthi fighters have increased pressure on government forces defending the city. Key roads linking Taiz to areas controlled by the government in southern Yemen have also been affected.
A military source revealed that fierce fighting is ongoing in the Al-Shakab area of the Sabir Al-Mawadim district, located south of Taiz. Houthi fighters are reportedly attempting to advance towards the strategic Jabal Sabir mountain, which overlooks the city.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized the significance of the battle for Jabal Sabir, stating, “The heights of this mountain provide a vantage point over Taiz city and its surroundings. Government forces are striving to prevent the Houthis from gaining such a strategic position, which could give them a substantial military advantage over the city.”
This conflict is part of the rising tensions in southwestern Yemen, where government forces, supported by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, are working to reclaim territory lost to the Houthis. This includes areas of strategic importance around the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since late 2014, when Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sana’a, and large parts of northern Yemen. In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in support of the internationally recognized government, which currently operates from the southern port city of Aden.
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