Yemeni forces advance in al-Jawf as Houthi missile kills eight

Yemeni government forces announced on Wednesday that they have captured key positions in the al-Jawf province.

The military stated that troops, supported by fighter jets and drones, stormed Houthi fortifications and barracks in the al-Dahida mountain range. Officials said the advance occurred one day after they first reported seizing control of strategic heights in the area. The statement noted that air and drone strikes hit Houthi gatherings and weapons depots, causing heavy losses for the Iran-backed group.

These gains are part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, which has been underway for two months. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, stated that the campaign will continue until state institutions and government authority are restored across the entire country. Government forces reported retaking positions in the al-Maqatira district of northern Lahij, a location that sits on a defensive line connecting Taiz with Aden.

The conflict is spreading to other regions. A Houthi ballistic missile struck a military training camp in the southern province of al-Dhalea on Wednesday. A military source said the missile hit a gathering of recruits at the al-Jumaima camp, killing eight people and wounding more than 15. Some local media reported higher casualty figures, but no official total has been released.

Houthi-affiliated media reported four air strikes on a Central Security Forces camp in the city of al-Bayda. They also claimed that a strike on a health centre in the al-Silw district of Taiz killed civilians over two days. Yemeni Interior Minister Ibrahim Ali Haidan accused 21 foreign experts of directing Houthi operations, including 14 from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and seven from Lebanon's Hezbollah. Hezbollah dismissed the claim as baseless.

Across the border, Saudi Arabia activated early-warning sirens in the southern Najran region and the Riyadh region on Wednesday. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a drone over Mecca on Tuesday. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied launching any attack on Saudi territory. The United States embassy in Riyadh warned that Houthi attacks could escalate quickly and required government personnel to obtain special permission to use Saudi airports.