Yemeni army claims to have neutralized 267 Houthis and lost nine officers

The Yemeni army announced on Sunday that it conducted 992 operations against Houthi forces, resulting in approximately 267 fighters and commanders being killed, wounded, or forced to flee the battlefield. Military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili stated that preliminary field reports also indicated that 97 military vehicles and weapons were destroyed or damaged during these actions.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, al-Nuzaili detailed that the operations consisted of 19 airstrikes, 29 drone strikes, and 944 artillery and rocket attacks targeting Houthi positions, reinforcements, and military equipment. He reported that the army made advances in Al-Jawf province and on the southern and southwestern fronts, though he did not identify specific positions captured. Fighting was reported to be continuing in Marib and Taiz.

Earlier on Sunday, the army announced the deaths of nine officers, including two field commanders, during the operation. While their funerals were held in Marib, the military did not specify the exact time or location of their deaths. In separate statements, the army claimed to have struck Houthi positions and vehicles in Marib and Lahj, reporting casualties but not providing a specific toll.

The Houthi group did not immediately comment on the military’s statement.

Separately, the Saudi-led coalition reported on Sunday that it intercepted a Houthi drone and five missiles aimed at the kingdom. The Saudi Arabian Energy Ministry reported that an attempted attack caused minor damage to an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh from falling debris, with no casualties reported.

The current escalation between government forces and the Houthis began in July and has killed or wounded around 10,000 people, according to UN reports. This renewed fighting has broken the relative calm that existed since 2022 and has worsened the humanitarian and displacement crisis in Yemen. The country has been in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and other areas. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government.