Ankara: Yemeni government forces announced that they successfully intercepted and shot down three Houthi drones in the provinces of Taiz and Shabwa. This development coincided with airstrikes targeting the positions and military assets of the Houthi group in western Taiz.

According to Anadolu Agency, the government-aligned Giants Brigades reported that one of the Houthi drones was intercepted on the Kahbub front near Bab el-Mandeb, while two first-person view (FPV) attack drones were downed in Bayhan before they could reach their intended targets.

Meanwhile, Yemen's military-run September Net website confirmed that airstrikes were carried out on Houthi positions, gatherings, and vehicles around Mokha and Al-Barh Bridge in western Taiz. These operations did not result in any reported casualties or damage.

In response, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Saudi warplanes conducted 54 airstrikes across the provinces of Taiz, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Marib, and Hajjah over the past 24 hours. Saree claimed that F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets, operating from Saudi airbases in Khamis Mushait and Taif, were used in these strikes, and he threatened retaliatory actions.

Saudi authorities have not yet commented on these claims, and the Houthis have not responded to the government forces' account of the events. The confrontations between the Yemeni government's forces and the Houthis have intensified since early July, after a period of relative calm. The conflict in Yemen has been ongoing since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in 2014. This led to the intervention of a Saudi-led Arab coalition in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government.