Saudi-led coalition intercepts drones in multiple areas of kingdom - The Express Tribune
The Yemeni army has completed its capture of a strategic mountain range in the northern province of Al-Jawf following battles with Houthi forces, a field commander said Saturday.
Col Rabie al-Qurashi, an army field commander in Al-Jawf, told Anadolu that government forces had secured the entire Huwayshian mountain range east of Al-Hazm, the provincial capital.
He said the advance followed fighting with the Houthis and was backed by warplanes that destroyed dozens of vehicles belonging to the group. The military operation remains underway, he added.
The mountains form the first line of defense for Al-Hazm, which remains under Houthi control, al-Qurashi said.
According to local Yemeni media, capturing the high ground enables government forces to cut Houthi supply routes in the province. The mountains also overlook key Houthi positions near Al-Hazm.
Government forces seized parts of the range during clashes Friday before completing their capture Saturday, according to an Anadolu correspondent.
Al-Jawf is strategically important because it borders Saudi Arabia and lies close to the Houthi-controlled provinces of Saada, Amran and Sanaa. It also borders the oil-producing provinces of Hadramout and Marib, which are under government control.
Control of Al-Jawf remains divided, with the Houthis holding Al-Hazm and other areas, while government forces control other parts of the province. Both sides continue to contest strategic positions.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks as government-aligned forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition have carried out military operations against Houthi positions in Taiz and other provinces.
The escalation comes amid renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides reporting attacks and military operations across Yemen and the wider region.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday thait had intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the "Riyadh region." launched by the Houthi group over the kingdom's southern region.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said in a statement on US social media platform X that the drone was intercepted and destroyed, without providing details on its launch site, intended target or damage. He added that the interception fragments fell without injuries, "and the site is currently being directly addressed by the competent authorities."
التحالف: الدفاع الجوي اعترض ودمر مسيرة معادية بمنطقة الرياض. pic.twitter.com/LgYHK6qVpO
Earlier on Saturday, on two separate occasions, the spokesperson said that the coalition destroyed a Houthi drone in the southern region of the kingdom launched by the Houthis.
التحالف: اعتراض وتدمير طائرة مسيّرة بالمنطقة الجنوبية أطلقتها الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية. pic.twitter.com/BdBGrDbWTT
Additionally, around midnight on Saturday, the spokesperson said a drone was intercepted and destroyed in the Madina region.
التحالف: اعتراض وتدمير طائرة مسيّرة بمنطقة المدينة المنورة أطلقتها الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية. pic.twitter.com/IjzAEn83Jc
The coalition, formally known as the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, has been fighting the Houthi group in Yemen.
The incident came amid escalating hostilities between the Houthis and the coalition, including attacks targeting Saudi airports and energy facilities.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s government against the Houthis since 2015.
The group has controlled the capital, Sanaa, and parts of Yemen since 2014.
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