Yemen government launches own air attacks on Houthis: What that means

What the report says

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has launched its own air attacks against Houthi positions, in a notable escalation in a war that had been relatively constrained since a 2022 truce. According to Al Jazeera, government warplanes carried out at least 15 strikes on Friday in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah, targeting Houthi positions, gatherings and vehicles. The strikes came as government forces backed one of the heaviest rounds of fighting in years.

The latest clashes are centred on western Taiz, southern Hodeidah and the area around al-Makha, a government-held port near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Al Jazeera said the Houthis launched a major offensive toward the Red Sea coast, using missiles, drones, artillery and ground advances, while Yemeni military officials said the government strikes were meant to support defending forces. The reported fighting has also caused civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries from missile strikes, according to Yemen’s state-linked Saba outlets cited in the article.

The development matters because Bab al-Mandeb is a strategic shipping chokepoint linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Al Jazeera said greater Houthi control there could strengthen the group’s position along a route already affected by attacks on shipping and broader regional tensions. The report also notes that this is not the first government air action since the truce began to weaken, but it is a sharper use of Yemen’s own air power after years in which the Saudi-led coalition provided most aerial support to anti-Houthi forces.