A Saudi-led air campaign involving 100 fighter jets has intensified the war in Yemen, as government forces battle the Houthis for territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a major route for global trade.
The Saudi-led coalition says its aircraft are supporting forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government as they push into Houthi-held areas along the country’s western coast.
Government forces say they have retaken several important positions, including the port city of Mocha. The Houthis dispute the claim, and control of the city has not been independently confirmed.
Saudi-led air campaign intensifies
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were providing air support to Yemeni government forces.
The coalition also said it had destroyed hundreds of Houthi targets and was providing air protection over Bab al-Mandab.
On the ground, government forces say they have recaptured Dhubab, just north of the strait, as part of their attempt to regain territory from the Houthis.
The latest operation follows recent Houthi advances in western Yemen that put government forces under further pressure.
Why Bab al-Mandab matters
The location of the fighting makes the latest developments important far beyond Yemen.
Bab al-Mandab is a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of global trade passes through the strait, according to AP.
Fighting in the area could affect commercial ships and energy supplies travelling between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Yemen researcher Hisham al-Omeisy, from the European Institute of Peace, told Al Jazeera that international attention has focused heavily on the Red Sea because of the importance of its shipping routes.
He said a bigger change in the war could come if government forces begin taking territory deeper inside Yemen, including areas such as Taiz, al-Bayda and Ibb.
Houthis claim attacks on Saudi Arabia
The latest fighting has also spread beyond Yemen.
The Houthis say they launched missiles and drones at several targets in Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in Rabigh.
They also claimed attacks on Abha airport and military sites. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the claims.
The US Embassy in Riyadh has warned American citizens to remain alert to the possibility of missile or drone attacks.
Human cost continues to rise
The latest fighting comes more than a decade after the Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and forced the government from power there.
The human cost is already growing.
AP reported that the latest violence has killed at least 959 people and wounded more than 4,200, citing the World Health Organization.
More than 174,000 people have also been forced to leave their homes inside Yemen, according to the UN migration agency.
What happens next
Attention will now turn to whether government forces can hold the areas they say they have retaken and continue pushing into Houthi-held territory.
Control of Mocha remains disputed, while fighting continues near Bab al-Mandab, placing an important global shipping route close to the conflict.
A government push deeper into Houthi-held areas could change the direction of the war. But with Saudi fighter jets now heavily involved and the Houthis threatening further attacks, there are growing concerns that the fighting could spread and draw the region into a wider conflict.
