Houthis, gov't forces trade strikes in Yemen as fighting intensifies

ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fighting intensified in Yemen on Tuesday as Houthi forces launched missile and drone attacks on government-held areas, while government forces stepped up retaliatory strikes against Houthi positions, marking a widening exchange of fire across several fronts.

The pro-government Aljoumhouriya TV reported that a Houthi missile struck Al-Khawkhah district in the western Red Sea province of Hodeidah, killing three people.

Aljoumhouriya TV also reported that a Houthi missile landed in the Al-Jufainah camp for displaced people in the northeastern oil-rich province of Marib, with no casualties reported.

Separately, emergency forces affiliated with Yemen's government said air defenses had downed an explosive-laden Houthi drone as it approached Al-Thaniyah military camp in Marib on Tuesday.

As Houthi attacks continued, government forces announced a broader military response on Tuesday, saying they had carried out 133 operations against Houthi positions and personnel across multiple front lines over the previous 24 hours.

Majid al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the government forces, said in a statement posted on social media platform X that army units used rocket launchers, artillery and drones to target Houthi positions and military capabilities.

The escalation followed recent Houthi missile and drone attacks on government-held areas in Yemen, including targets in the Red Sea port city of Mocha and the oil-rich province of Marib, as well as oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the Yemeni government.

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 the following year in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

A UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022 expired six months later without a formal extension, but a fragile de facto ceasefire has largely held until the recent escalation.

The Houthi group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping last month and has since claimed attacks on Saudi tankers. Enditem