6 hrs ago
Saudi Airstrikes Reported as Fighting Intensifies Around Taiz
Reports say Saudi warplanes carried out new airstrikes in parts of northwestern Yemen.
Houthi-run media said three people were hurt in strikes in Hajjah province.
The same outlet reported a strike on an oil company station in Hodeidah, with no immediate casualties.
It also alleged that some strikes used cluster munitions, but Saudi Arabia had not commented.
Meanwhile, fighting grew more intense near the city of Taiz.
A government military source said Houthi forces were pushing toward a mountain called Jabal Sabir.
The source said control of the mountain could matter because it overlooks Taiz.
Yemen has been in civil conflict since the Houthis took Sanaa in late 2014.
Houthi-run al-Masirah reported six Saudi airstrikes in the Abs district of Hajjah province, injuring three people.
Al-Masirah said Saudi warplanes struck a Yemen Petroleum Company station in Hodeidah province; no casualties were immediately reported.
The Houthi-run channel alleged that cluster munitions were used in some strikes; Saudi Arabia had not commented.
A government military source said fierce clashes were underway near Taiz as Houthi forces advanced toward Jabal Sabir.
The source described Jabal Sabir as strategically important because its heights overlook Taiz and nearby areas.
- Who
- Saudi warplanes, Houthi forces, and Yemeni government forces
- What
- Reported airstrikes in Hajjah and Hodeidah provinces and intensified fighting near Taiz
- Where
- Abs district in Hajjah, Bajil district in Hodeidah, and areas near Taiz in southwestern Yemen
- When
- Saturday; no calendar date is specified
- Why
- The source reports the airstrikes amid a broader escalation; fighting near Taiz centers in part on Houthi advances toward strategically elevated Jabal Sabir.
Key facts
- Hajjah strikes
- Al-Masirah reported six airstrikes in Abs district and three people injured.
- Hodeidah strike
- Al-Masirah reported a strike on a Yemen Petroleum Company station in Bajil district.
- Reported casualties in Bajil
- No immediate casualties were reported.
- Cluster munitions
- Al-Masirah alleged that cluster munitions were used in some strikes.
- Clashes near Taiz
- A government military source reported fierce fighting in Al-Shaqab, in Sabir al-Mawadim district.
- Jabal Sabir
- The government source said the mountain's heights overlook Taiz and surrounding areas.
- Conflict timeline
- The article says Yemen's civil conflict began in late 2014, after the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen.
Quotes
Government military source
An unnamed government military source who spoke to Xinhua about clashes south of Taiz.
“The battle for Jabal Sabir is critical because its heights dominate the Taiz city and the surrounding areas. Government forces are trying to prevent the Houthis from gaining positions that would give them a major advantage over the city.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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