100 Saudi-led coalition jets join Yemen Dawn offensive against Houthis

ADEN, Oct 5 : The Saudi-led coalition said Monday that 100 fighter jets had participated in the launch of the “Dawn of Yemen” military operation against the Iran-backed Houthis, as Yemeni government forces reported advances around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said the operation had destroyed 324 “high-value targets” since its launch. He said coalition forces were providing round-the-clock air support to Yemeni government troops on the ground and air protection for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while operations against moving targets were continuing.

The Yemeni military said its forces, including the pro-government Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield forces, had taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb area as part of the offensive.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Majid Abdullah al-Nuzayli said government forces had also captured Dhubab airport and cut the road linking Dhubab with Mokha, establishing fire control over the route. He said hundreds of Houthi fighters had been surrounded in the Dhubab area, while some had fled by boat.

The Southern Giants Brigades separately announced a “decisive military operation” against Houthi forces in the Bab el-Mandeb area.

The developments followed the launch of “Dawn of Yemen” by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi, who said the operation aims to restore state institutions, retake Houthi-held territory and liberate Sanaa.

Arab News reported that Yemeni government forces had taken control of large parts of Dhubab, while AP reported that government-aligned forces were attacking Houthi positions in the area. The competing battlefield claims could not immediately be independently verified.

Bab el-Mandeb is a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, making control of the area strategically important for international shipping.