Yemen Army Seizes Key Al-Jawf Mountains in Major Houthi Blow
(MENAFN) Yemeni government forces have taken full control of a strategic mountain range in the northern province of Al-Jawf after fierce fighting with Houthi forces, a field commander said on Saturday.
Col. Rabie al-Qurashi, an army field commander in Al-Jawf, told a Turkish news agency that troops had secured the entire Huwayshian mountain range east of Al-Hazm, the provincial capital. The operation is still underway, he said.
The offensive followed clashes with the Houthis and was supported by warplanes, which destroyed dozens of the group’s vehicles, al-Qurashi said.
The range forms the first line of defense for Al-Hazm, which remains in Houthi hands, he said.
Local Yemeni media reported that holding the high ground allows government forces to sever Houthi supply routes across the province. The peaks also overlook key Houthi positions near Al-Hazm.
A correspondent for the Turkish agency reported that government forces captured parts of the range during Friday’s clashes before completing the takeover on Saturday.
Al-Jawf carries major strategic weight. It borders Saudi Arabia and sits close to the Houthi-held provinces of Saada, Amran and Sanaa. It also adjoins the oil-producing provinces of Hadramout and Marib, both under government control.
Control of the province remains split. The Houthis hold Al-Hazm and other areas, while government forces control the rest, and both sides continue to fight over strategic positions.
Sweeping strike claims
Separately, the Yemeni army said it carried out 1,119 strikes against the Houthis in recent hours, claiming to have “neutralized” 427 members of the group and destroyed or damaged 142 military vehicles, pieces of equipment and means of transport.
In a statement, the army said the strikes helped its units advance and seize several strategic positions and heights on fronts in Al-Jawf.
The army also reported continued fighting in the southwestern province of Taiz, where its forces, backed by the Popular Resistance, targeted Houthi movements and reinforcements with air and artillery support.
The statement did not specify the period covered by the reported strikes.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks as government-aligned forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, press operations against Houthi positions in Taiz and other provinces.
The escalation comes amid renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides reporting attacks and military operations across Yemen and the wider region.
Col. Rabie al-Qurashi, an army field commander in Al-Jawf, told a Turkish news agency that troops had secured the entire Huwayshian mountain range east of Al-Hazm, the provincial capital. The operation is still underway, he said.
The offensive followed clashes with the Houthis and was supported by warplanes, which destroyed dozens of the group’s vehicles, al-Qurashi said.
The range forms the first line of defense for Al-Hazm, which remains in Houthi hands, he said.
Local Yemeni media reported that holding the high ground allows government forces to sever Houthi supply routes across the province. The peaks also overlook key Houthi positions near Al-Hazm.
A correspondent for the Turkish agency reported that government forces captured parts of the range during Friday’s clashes before completing the takeover on Saturday.
Al-Jawf carries major strategic weight. It borders Saudi Arabia and sits close to the Houthi-held provinces of Saada, Amran and Sanaa. It also adjoins the oil-producing provinces of Hadramout and Marib, both under government control.
Control of the province remains split. The Houthis hold Al-Hazm and other areas, while government forces control the rest, and both sides continue to fight over strategic positions.
Sweeping strike claims
Separately, the Yemeni army said it carried out 1,119 strikes against the Houthis in recent hours, claiming to have “neutralized” 427 members of the group and destroyed or damaged 142 military vehicles, pieces of equipment and means of transport.
In a statement, the army said the strikes helped its units advance and seize several strategic positions and heights on fronts in Al-Jawf.
The army also reported continued fighting in the southwestern province of Taiz, where its forces, backed by the Popular Resistance, targeted Houthi movements and reinforcements with air and artillery support.
The statement did not specify the period covered by the reported strikes.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks as government-aligned forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, press operations against Houthi positions in Taiz and other provinces.
The escalation comes amid renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides reporting attacks and military operations across Yemen and the wider region.
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