Politics & Diplomacy
Yemen: Government says it killed 1,150 Houthis in 24 hours; Taiz hospitals close to collapse
Yemen’s internationally recognised government says it killed at least 1,150 Houthis in 24 hours, a figure that cannot be verified independently. Its health ministry warns of an imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe in besieged Taiz.
The army of Yemen’s internationally recognised government says it killed at least 1,150 Houthis in almost 2,000 targeted operations within 24 hours, as part of operation “Dawn of Yemen”. Government forces spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili said, as reported by Al Jazeera, that ammunition dumps and at least 180 combat, transport and supply vehicles had been destroyed, and that ground forces “continued to advance their assault”. Al Jazeera could not verify the information independently.
The Saudi-led coalition said for its part that it struck 136 Houthi targets and is providing round-the-clock air support to the government forces.
Fighting for Bab el-Mandeb
Battles are raging around Mocha and Dhubab on the Red Sea coast, towns that are critical to control of Bab el-Mandeb. The Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa since 2014, seized the area in September. According to an Al Jazeera correspondent, the movement had not, as of Saturday, claimed responsibility for the attack on Riyadh airport, but it has warned airlines that any aircraft in Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina, is a target.
The Houthis also threaten Pakistan: if it becomes militarily involved on Saudi Arabia’s side, it will be treated as Riyadh is, with plans to fire ballistic missiles and attack Pakistan-flagged ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. The threat comes after Islamabad activated its mutual defence pact with Riyadh following the attack on King Khalid airport. “There is no mediation happening this time – there [are] no regional or local mediators that are able to cool down the situation,” Baraa Shiban of London’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) told Al Jazeera, adding that the violence will not be “dying down” anytime soon.
Taiz without medicine and fuel
Meanwhile, the government’s health ministry warned of an “imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe” in Taiz, accusing the Houthis of obstructing the entry of medical supplies, as Greek public broadcaster ERT reported. “Medicines, intravenous fluids, medical supplies and fuel at the city’s health facilities are nearing depletion,” it said.
According to a newer Al Jazeera report, the Houthis captured Mocha in September and At Turbah by October 4, cutting the last main road to the city. Taiz also endured a siege in 2015-2016. The route reopened in 2024 is now closed again, while the government counteroffensive has continued since early October.
