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Saudi-led Coalition Reaffirms Military Support for Yemen Government as Houthis Face Counteroffensive
Saudi-backed forces said 100 fighter jets hit Houthi targets as they moved to retake territory and reopen the Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane.
On Sunday, Yemen's internationally recognized government launched a major military offensive against the Huthis, with the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen pledging "full operational support" to restore state institutions.
Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, stated the operation follows "the Huthi militias" continued mobilization and threats after they seized Red Sea coastal territory near the critical Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Huthi-Controlled forces claimed Saudi Arabia conducted 106 air strikes over 24 hours, while the United Nations reports 377,000 deaths since Yemen's 2015 conflict began, with over 150,000 from direct fighting.
Much of the recent fighting centers on Taiz, where Houthis attempt to isolate government forces, while the World Food Program warns three out of four families in parts of Yemen are going hungry.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan convene today in Riyadh to discuss regional developments through the Strategic and Political Defense Committee, a NATO-style pact established to coordinate security cooperation.
A large-scale air campaign against the Houthis has been launched in Yemen. According to Saudi Arabia, 100 warplanes and hundreds of targets have been hit.