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Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said Friday that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait had been cleared of Houthis, while Yemeni government troops reported continued fighting around the strategic waterway and across Marib province.
“Bab el-Mandeb has been cleared of the remnants of the Houthi terrorist militia,” Mohammed Al Jaber said on X, calling the development a “victory for every Yemeni and Arab.”
However, a Yemeni military source reportedly said fighting in the area remained fierce and that advances were limited.
The source said government forces launched a major operation Friday morning to establish full control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Mayun Island, with the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield Forces taking part with support from the Saudi-led coalition.
The Nation’s Shield Forces said government troops were continuing to pursue remaining Houthis in the area.
Yemeni government forces also reported continued clashes with the Houthis across Marib province as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen.
The Yemeni Armed Forces Media Center said army units, backed by the Popular Resistance, attacked Houthi positions on southern fronts, broke through fortifications, cleared minefields and forced members from several positions.
It said government forces were also carrying out operations on northern and northwestern fronts while monitoring Houthi movements and reinforcements.
According to the military, warplanes, drones, artillery and rocket launchers struck Houthi positions, command centers, weapons depots and drone facilities.
The media center said dozens of Houthis were killed or wounded, while 22 government troops and Popular Resistance members were killed and others injured.
The Houthis did not immediately comment on the Saudi envoy’s remarks or the Yemeni government statements.
U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on Friday that Yemen had returned to “full-scale war” as fighting spread across several fronts.
He said civilians, particularly women and children, were again bearing the brunt of the violence and urged all sides to comply with international humanitarian law.
Grundberg also condemned Houthi attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including recent strikes on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
He warned that Houthi threats against Saudi-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea were also undermining freedom of navigation and becoming increasingly tied to disputes over maritime trade routes and international energy markets.
“Ultimately, gains on the battlefield cannot substitute for the negotiations that will be required to settle the conflict,” Grundberg said.
“Unless war is to become Yemen’s permanent reality, the time to consider political strategies is now,” he added.
Saudi authorities said three people, including a pilot, were killed in attacks on Riyadh airport and a Saudia aircraft a day earlier.
The Saudi civil aviation authority said attacks on King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia plane also caused injuries, while the national carrier confirmed the death of the aircraft’s captain.
Saudi authorities also reported damage from missile interception debris in Riyadh.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree later said humanitarian flights to and from Riyadh Airport would be permitted only if authorized by a Houthi coordinating body in Sanaa.
Houthi-linked media, meanwhile, reported that Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport killed two people.
Türkiye on Friday condemned Houthi attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport “in the strongest terms.”
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said three people were killed and 36 others injured in the attacks.
The ministry offered condolences to the families of those killed, wished the injured a speedy recovery and called for an immediate end to attacks targeting civilians and infrastructure.
“We reiterate our full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and renew our call for existing disputes to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” the ministry said.
Yemen’s conflict began after the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.
The latest escalation, which began in July, has become the most extensive fighting since the relative calm following a U.N.-brokered truce in 2022.
More than 200,000 people have been displaced since July, according to U.N. data.
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