Yemeni gov't forces launch 181 military operations against Houthis within 24 hrs: spokesman

SANAA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government forces said Sunday they had launched 181 military operations against targets in Houthi-held areas over the past 24 hours, marking a sharp escalation in fighting between the two sides.

Government military spokesperson Majid al-Nuzaili said in a statement posted on social media platform X that drones, artillery and rocket launchers were used to hit Houthi positions, weapons depots, military vehicles and other facilities allegedly used to launch attacks.

The operations killed or wounded dozens of members of the Houthi group and destroyed military equipment across seven provinces, al-Nuzaili said, without providing a detailed casualty toll.

He said the operations were launched in response to a recent wave of Houthi attacks on government forces, civilian infrastructure, economic facilities and ports.

Meanwhile, the Houthi group said it launched a series of ballistic missile and drone strikes against what it called "Saudi enemy military reinforcements" in Mocha and Marib on Sunday, claiming casualties and the destruction of several weapons depots and storage facilities.

The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks in recent weeks against government-held areas across Yemen and targets in neighboring Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the Yemeni government.

The group announced a maritime ban on Saudi-linked shipping on July 20 and has since claimed attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea as well as energy facilities inside Saudi Arabia.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government. ■