Yemeni government claims gains in al-Jawf offensive as missile strike kills recruits in al-Dhalea
Yemeni government forces say they have advanced further into the al-Dahida mountain range in eastern al-Jawf province as fighting intensifies across several fronts in the country's north and south. The claim comes amid Operation Dawn of Yemen, a campaign now in its second month against Houthi positions. In a separate development, a ballistic missile reportedly struck a military training camp in northern al-Dhalea, killing eight people and wounding more than 15.
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According to a statement from the armed forces, troops backed by fighter jets and drones stormed Houthi fortifications and barracks in the al-Dahida area and seized weapons and military equipment. The statement also said air and drone strikes targeted Houthi gatherings and depots at several sites, with the group suffering heavy losses. The reported advance follows earlier government claims that it had recaptured strategic overlooks east of al-Hazm, the provincial capital of al-Jawf.
The missile strike in al-Dhalea was described by a military source as hitting the al-Jumaima camp in the north of the province, where recruits had gathered. No official casualty toll has been released, and some Yemeni media reported higher figures. The reported deaths add to the human cost of a conflict that has continued to move across multiple provinces, including al-Dhalea, Lahij and Taiz.
The latest claims matter because al-Jawf sits on a strategic line in the north-east, while al-Dhalea and nearby provinces are part of the contested southern and central front. Control of high ground and transport routes can shape the wider balance of the war, including access between Taiz and Aden. The fighting also underscores how the conflict remains active despite repeated shifts in front lines and competing claims of territorial gains.
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Operation Dawn of Yemen has become the main frame for the government's recent military push, with officials saying it is aimed at restoring state institutions and the authority of the internationally recognised government. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, has said the operation will continue until that goal is achieved across the country. The government also said it had carried out strikes in western Taiz and recaptured positions in al-Maqatira district in northern Lahij, which lies on a key defensive line linking Taiz with Aden.
There were also wider claims and counterclaims around the same period, including Houthi-affiliated reports of air strikes on a Central Security Forces camp in al-Bayda and a health centre in Taiz. The Houthis also said strikes from Saudi Arabia had killed civilians over two days this week, while Yemen's interior minister said 21 foreign experts were directing Houthi operations, including members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It remains unclear how much territory has changed hands on the ground, whether the reported death toll in al-Dhalea will be revised, and how far the offensive can be sustained in the coming days.
