Yemen's government claims gains near Mokha; Houthis claim Saudi airport attacks
Yemen's Saudi-backed government says its forces have taken key mountain positions in western Taiz overlooking the Red Sea coast near Mokha. The Houthis say they targeted airports in Riyadh and Abha, where Saudi aviation officials say attacks killed three people and wounded 36. The fight is over land near the Bab al-Mandeb, a shipping lane that matters more with Hormuz choked.
Yemen's government says its offensive against the Houthis is gaining ground. A military spokesman said early Thursday that forces had "neutralised" 1,860 Houthi fighters and carried out 2,103 strikes since the "Dawn of Yemen" campaign began, Al Jazeera reported. The government also says it has taken strategic mountain positions in western Taiz that overlook the coast. Those claims have not been independently confirmed.
The prize is the Red Sea coast near the port of Mokha and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis took Mokha in September. Government forces say they have retaken it, but AGBI noted that the outcome depends on whether they can hold it. Al Jazeera's reporter in Sanaa said the government must first drive the Houthis off the mountains east of Mokha.
The fighting has spilled across the border. The Houthis said they targeted airports in Riyadh and Abha on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said the attacks killed one person and wounded eight at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and killed two and wounded 28 at Abha airport. Kuwait and Egypt condemned the attacks.
The Saudi-led coalition, whose spokesperson blamed the Houthis for the airport attacks, said it then destroyed 82 Houthi targets in Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib, including 11 mountain missile storage sites.
On Wednesday, the government said Houthi missiles and drones targeted Aden's airport. One missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due, and the plane was sent to Jeddah instead, Al Jazeera reported. The Houthis said they were aiming at Saudi military supplies at a nearby camp.
Yemen's government, which has been based in Aden since the Houthis took Sanaa in 2014, says it wants full control of the country, not a truce. Its U.N. envoy told U.N. special envoy Hans Grundberg that a temporary pause would only lead to more fighting.
The Bab al-Mandeb has grown more important for energy shipments since the U.S.-Iran war choked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
What we know: The Houthis say they targeted two Saudi airports where attacks killed three, and the government claims new ground near Mokha.
What we don't: Who firmly controls Mokha and the hills around it.
Where outlets agree Al Jazeera and AGBI both report Yemen's government says its forces have retaken ground around Mokha, while the Houthis keep up attacks.
Where they differ Saudi aviation officials did not say who carried out the airport attacks, while the coalition spokesperson, quoted by Al Jazeera, blamed the Houthis.