Saudi-led coalition launches operation to ‘neutralize’ Houthi military resources in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition said Sunday that it had carried out a military operation to "neutralize vital resources" used by the Houthi group to support its war effort and strengthen its military capabilities, particularly ballistic missiles and drones.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement that the operation took place Sunday morning following continued Houthi attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

The coalition's joint forces command had monitored the Houthis' "continued use of vital resources to support their war effort and bolster their military capabilities, especially ballistic missiles and drones," he said.

Al-Maliki said the continued attacks posed a direct threat to civilian lives and the safety of civilian infrastructure.

The operation sought to "neutralize" resources used by the group to carry out repeated attacks and threaten the security of Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea, he added.

The statement did not identify the targeted locations or specify the nature of the resources it said had been neutralized. It also provided no details on casualties or material damage.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

Since Oct. 5, Yemeni government forces have launched Operation "Dawn of Yemen" to restore state institutions from Houthi control and retake the capital, Sanaa.

Military escalation between government forces and the Houthis resumed in July, killing and wounding thousands and displacing more than a quarter of a million people, according to UN reports.

The escalation ended a period of relative calm that had prevailed in Yemen since April 2022, while the humanitarian crisis has worsened amid continued fighting and displacement.

Yemen has been at war since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.