▲ An oil tanker sails north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Mocha, Yemen. (The photo above is not directly related to the contents of the article.)
Foreign media outlets reported on the 5th local time that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition has recaptured several key areas previously controlled by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
According to the British daily The Guardian and other sources, Yemeni government officials announced on the same day that the Saudi-led coalition recaptured the strategic locations of Dhubab, Al-Wadeah, and Hodeidah, located north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.
The Saudi-led coalition had previously declared the launch of a military operation to retake territory from the Houthis and launched a large-scale offensive starting that day.
The operation involves the Yemeni government forces leading ground operations while the Saudi military supports with airstrikes.
Coalition spokesman Saudi Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said, "One hundred fighter jets are supporting the coalition, and the coalition has secured air defense control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and destroyed hundreds of Houthi rebel targets."
He added that the coalition struck Houthi military targets in Hodeidah, destroying weapons depots and underwater mine storage facilities, and thwarted attacks targeting the southern Red Sea shipping lanes.
The Houthi rebels' counterattack has also been formidable.
The Houthis announced that as they advanced toward Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city and a strategic stronghold, they seized Turba, a major base for government forces.
A local police source stated, "We received information that the Houthi rebels have taken control of the Al-Safiya area and blocked major roads," while a Yemeni military official also reported that the Houthis have seized supply routes in the area and are besieging Taiz.
According to AFP, fighting surrounding Taiz left more than 70 people dead in a single day.
The Houthi rebels also intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia on the same day by firing ballistic missiles and drones toward Riyadh's airport and Aramco oil facilities.
The United States is observed to be indirectly supporting the Saudi-led coalition by providing intelligence for operations rather than participating directly in military attacks.
Asked whether the Saudi-led coalition coordinated military operations with the U.S., U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio only mentioned that a defense agreement exists between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, declining to provide specific details.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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