The Yemeni army said on Monday that its forces had “neutralized” 1,747 Houthi fighters during 1,122 military operations across several fronts, as government forces intensify their campaign to retake Houthi-held territory.
Military spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said the operations were carried out in Saada, Al-Jawf and Taiz provinces, as well as along Yemen’s western coast.
According to al-Nuzaili, government forces targeted Houthi artillery and rocket-launching positions, defensive fortifications, supply routes, reinforcements, military concentrations and command-and-control centres.
The operations involved warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles, rocket launchers and snipers, he said.
Al-Nuzaili also claimed that 364 military vehicles and transport and supply assets were destroyed or disabled during the operations.
The figures provided by the Yemeni military could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate response from the Houthis to the claims.
Al-Nuzaili said government forces would continue military operations aimed at retaking territory and state institutions currently controlled by the Houthis.
The announcement follows a statement by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday declaring the launch of comprehensive military operations against the group. He said the armed forces, security forces and other military formations had been ordered to recover Houthi-held territory.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of the country in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
Fighting has intensified since July, with a major escalation in September that saw the Houthis seize the strategic city of Mokha and advance towards Mayyun Island, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group has also carried out attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia, including energy infrastructure.