Yemeni army announces strikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa, Saada, Taiz

The Yemeni army said early Friday that it targeted Houthi positions in the capital Sanaa, the northwestern province of Saada, and the southwestern province of Taiz.

Army spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili said on US social media company X that government forces struck "high-value targets in the capital Sanaa," without providing further details.

He added that the forces also targeted "11 high-value targets in the Saada province," without specifying the weapons used.

In an earlier statement, al-Nuzaili said air force warplanes carried out 20 strikes over three hours against Houthi movements, reinforcements, gatherings, fighters, vehicles and military equipment in the Taiz province.

He said the strikes targeted Humair, Bani Bakari, Samea, al-Aqroud, 60th Street, al-Amour, Midi Bani Hassan, and al-Wazi'iyah.

The raids "scored direct hits on enemy targets and inflicted losses on the militia's personnel, equipment, and military movements," he added.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group on the army's statements.

-Military escalation

The developments come amid mounting military escalation between government forces and the Houthis, with fighting reaching its most intense level in recent weeks.

The clashes are part of an escalation that began in July, the largest since the relative calm that followed a 2022 truce.

Fighting intensified in September, leading to Houthi control over several key locations in the Al Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, including the strategic city of Mokha, with their advance extending to Mayun Island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Yemen has been at war since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government.