14 Houthi fighters killed in strikes on Hodeidah, Yemen govt-aligned forces say

Mohammed Sameai and Serdar Dincel

Yemeni government-aligned forces said Tuesday evening that 14 members of the Houthi group had been killed in strikes targeting the group’s positions south of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

A statement released by the media office of the government-aligned National Resistance Forces said they had carried out strikes against Houthi positions that had “accurately hit their targets.”

The Houthis did not immediately respond to the claims.

Earlier Tuesday, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council approved further “deterrence” measures against the Houthis, vowing to continue efforts to restore state institutions and end the group’s control of parts of Yemen.

The decision came at a council meeting in Saudi capital Riyadh attended by all of its members, according to Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency.

The meeting addressed “developments in the military, security and economic situations, as well as the state’s strategic options in confronting the ongoing escalation by the Houthi militias, as part of efforts to restore state institutions and end the coup.”

“The state is continuing efforts to restore its institutions, assert its authority over all its national territory, and end the humanitarian suffering caused by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militias,” the council added.

Since 2022, Yemen had experienced relative calm following years of war between government forces and the Houthis, who seized control of much of the country — including capital Sanaa — in 2014.

Early last month, fighting between government forces and the Houthis resumed in several parts of Yemen, including Marib in central Yemen, Al-Jawf in the north, and Al-Dhale and Taiz in the southwest.

A Saudi-led coalition supports Yemen’s Aden-based government and its armed forces, while Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis, who announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in July.

Since Israel began its war on the Gaza Strip in late 2023, the Houthis have become increasingly involved in regional hostilities, carrying out attacks on Israel and Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea.