40 Houthis Killed in Fighting in Central Yemen

Pro-Saudi forces say they foiled Houthi offensive

Pro-Saudi forces are reporting that they foiled a Houthi offensive in the al-Bayda Province of central Yemen. The offensive aimed to recover territory, and was ended by Saudi airstrikes.

Heavy fighting was reported in the Malajem District, with pro-Saudi forces claiming 30 Houthis were killed in fighting, and 10 more killed in a Saudi strikes. They did not indicate how many casualties they’d suffered themselves.

Fighting in central Yemen often involves high casualties, with little territory changing hands in individual skirmishes. The inability of either side to decisively gain ground there is a big part of why the war has been stalemated so long.

It is noteworthy that the Houthis are interested in contesting al-Bayda now, as recently the indications are that almost all their efforts have been on retaining control over the vital aid port of Hodeidah.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.