Aden, Oct. 5 (SANA) Yemeni government forces said Monday they had launched an assault on Houthi-held Sanaa using advanced capabilities, expanding a broader military campaign against the Houthi militia.
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Col. Majed al-Nazili said in a statement carried by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that forces had begun what he described as a “strategic assault” on the capital. He gave no further details on the capabilities being used or the targets of the operation.
The assault forms part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, which Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced on Monday with the stated goals of retaking Sanaa, restoring state institutions and ending Houthi control.
Al-Alimi said the operation would be carried out by Yemen’s armed forces and other military formations with support from allies and partners.
He said on Sunday that the government had turned to military action after exhausting peace efforts, while stressing that the campaign was not aimed at civilians and that authorities would protect civilians and property and reject retaliation.
Fighting expands on several fronts
Government forces said they had taken control of the Bab al-Mandab area, Dhu Bab and its airport, cut the road linking Dhu Bab with Mokha and established fire control over it.
The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said 100 fighter jets were participating in Operation Dawn of Yemen and that 324 high-value targets had been destroyed.
The coalition said it was providing air cover over Bab al-Mandab and operational support to Yemeni forces, pledging to continue backing the government until state institutions were restored and threats to maritime navigation were ended.
Fighting has intensified on several fronts since the operation began, with government forces reporting strikes on Houthi positions and military vehicles around Taiz alongside continued operations on Yemen’s western coast.
KH/MF
