- Coalition spokesman says Houthi allegations are an attempt to divert attention from mounting battlefield losses in Yemen
RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen has dismissed claims by the Iran-backed Houthi militia that it targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh, describing the allegations as misleading and an attempt to portray “imaginary victories.”
Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the coalition, said the Houthi claims came amid significant losses suffered by the group on several Yemeni fronts, particularly in Taiz.
“What the Houthis are experiencing in Taiz, and what we are witnessing in terms of human losses among the group’s members at the hands of the heroes of the Yemeni armed forces and the popular resistance on all fronts, makes them search for imaginary victories,” Al-Maliki told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He said the claims were intended to divert attention from the scale of the Houthis’ battlefield losses and growing public anger over the group’s conduct and its links to foreign agendas that, he said, have contributed to instability, chaos and destruction in Yemen.
Heavy Fighting Reported Across Multiple Fronts
The Houthi claims emerged as unified Yemeni forces continued operations to repel attempts by the militia to consolidate positions it had previously attacked along Yemen’s western coast.
Recent Yemeni reports have put Houthi losses at around 5,000 fighters over the course of a week, although independent verification of the figure was not immediately available.
Yemeni government forces have meanwhile intensified air and ground operations against Houthi positions and military infrastructure across several fronts.
According to the Yemeni armed forces, their forces conducted 257 precision military operations targeting Houthi positions, movements and military capabilities.
Operations Target Houthi Military Infrastructure
Col. Majid Al-Nuzaili, official spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces, said the operations were conducted using aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and rocket launchers.
The operations targeted areas including Sanaa, Midi and Baqim, as well as fronts in Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda and Lahj, with the most intense operations reported in the Taiz area.
According to Al-Nuzaili, the targets included Houthi command-and-control centers, troop concentrations and reinforcements, combat reserves, weapons and ammunition depots, as well as military supply routes and equipment.
The latest developments underscore the continuing intensity of fighting in Yemen, as government forces seek to contain Houthi advances while the militia faces mounting military pressure on several fronts.
BY: The Times Union
This article originally appeared in Arabic in Asharq Al-Awsat, click here to read it.
