Yemeni government forces have clashed with Houthi fighters near the Saudi border as fighting intensifies in northern Yemen.
AFP footage showed government troops advancing through desert terrain in armoured vehicles and military trucks.
Machine-gun fire and artillery could be heard during the fighting.
The clashes took place in the Al-Jawf area.
Government Forces Claim Battlefield Gains
Waleed Al-Mahajeri, an operations commander with the government’s Fifth Brigade, said government forces were advancing on the Al-Labanat front.
He claimed Houthi fighters were retreating from several positions.
AFP footage showed government forces using heavy machine guns, artillery and rocket-propelled grenades against distant targets.
The footage also showed Houthi positions and military trenches that government forces said had been abandoned.
A government soldier said Al-Masariya Hill and Al-Labanat camp had been captured.
He added that the advance was continuing toward Al-Tebab al-Soud.
Houthis Release Fighting Footage
The Houthis also released footage showing their fighters operating in the desert.
The video showed fighters travelling in pickup trucks and firing toward advancing vehicles.
One fighter said the group was conducting an operation to cut off opposing forces.
The Houthis also released footage that they said showed the downing of a Saudi fighter jet.
Night-vision footage appeared to show a projectile striking an aircraft.
Other footage showed the wreckage of a plane with a tailfin displaying the Saudi flag.
The Houthis claimed the aircraft was a Saudi fighter jet brought down by a locally manufactured missile.
Yemen Conflict Escalates
Yemen’s civil war has intensified again after relative calm since 2022.
The Houthis have maintained control over large areas of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.
The group has also expanded its control along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and strategic areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces are responding to the latest Houthi advances.
Saudi airstrikes have targeted Houthi positions but have so far failed to reverse all of the group’s reported gains.
The latest clashes highlight the renewed fighting along Yemen’s northern fronts and the continuing regional involvement in the conflict.
