Yemeni government forces press counteroffensive in al-Jawf amid Operation Dawn of Yemen
Yemeni government forces are pressing a counteroffensive in Al-Jawf Governorate, focusing on strategic heights east of the provincial capital, al-Hazm. The operation is part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, the government campaign launched last month to reverse Houthi territorial gains. The latest movement on the ground underscores how Al-Jawf has become a new focal point in the war.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
A field commander identified as Colonel Rabie Al-Qurashi said government forces had taken full control of the Huwaishan mountain range east of al-Hazm. He said the area forms the first line of Houthi defence on the eastern axis and that holding the rugged terrain would help disrupt rebel supply routes. He also said government forces had gained partial control of the Al-Alam front road and were tightening pressure on the upper al-Labanat camp, which he described as a vital eastern gateway to Sanaa.
The fighting matters because Al-Jawf has repeatedly changed hands during Yemen's war and sits on a strategically important corridor. It borders Saudi Arabia and links to Hadramout, Saada, Sanaa, Amran and oil-rich Marib, making it significant both militarily and geographically. Control of the governorate is also seen as important for the defence of Marib, which remains under government control and has been a key front in the wider conflict.
The current push comes against the backdrop of a war that began in 2014, when the Houthis took Sanaa and later expanded across much of northern Yemen. Al-Hazm itself was seized by the Houthis in March 2020, underlining how contested the area has been. The latest government advance is being presented as part of a broader effort to restore state control in the north, where the Houthis still hold the capital and most of the surrounding highlands.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Military and strategic analysts quoted in the reporting said the elevated terrain around al-Hazm offers clear tactical advantages. Holding those heights can improve observation, strengthen defensive lines and make it harder for opposing forces to move men and supplies. That is one reason Al-Jawf is being described as a new hotspot in the conflict, rather than just another local front.
What remains unclear is whether government forces can consolidate any gains and how the Houthis will respond in the eastern approaches to al-Hazm. The reporting does not give independent confirmation of battlefield claims, and the situation on the ground may continue to shift quickly. The next developments to watch are whether the advance extends further toward supply routes and whether the fighting spreads to other nearby fronts linked to Marib and Sanaa.
Yemen's internationally recognised government says its forces have recaptured military positions and strategic heights east of al-Hazm in the northern governorate of al-Jawf. The announcement comes as fighting continues on several fronts, including around Taiz and in neighbouring Lahij. The government says the counteroffensive has also led to the seizure of weapons and ammunition depots.
According to the army's media centre, the 1st Emergency Brigade carried out the operation and reported that Houthi fighters were wounded, killed and captured. It also said armoured vehicles were destroyed during the clashes. The Houthis, for their part, said they had repelled government advances in al-Jawf and in neighbouring Marib, underscoring the contested nature of the front line.
More from 360LiveNews Opinion
Al-Jawf is strategically important because it borders Saudi Arabia and lies alongside Houthi-held governorates including Sanaa and Saada. That geography makes it a key corridor in the wider struggle for territory in northern Yemen. The fighting is part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, which was launched in October to reverse Houthi gains and restore government control over areas seized by the group after it took Sanaa in 2014.
The latest clashes also come against the backdrop of a worsening humanitarian situation in Taiz, where the siege has strained hospitals and restricted deliveries of food, fuel and medical supplies. Government forces say they repelled Houthi attacks in al-Aqroudh, southeast of the city, and on the Tur al-Baha front in Lahij governorate. Houthi-affiliated media also reported air strikes on an oil company facility in Bajil district in Hodeidah governorate, adding to the sense of a conflict spreading across multiple fronts.
Taiz remains one of the most sensitive areas in the war because the Houthis do not control the city itself but hold key routes in and out of it. That has limited access to essential supplies and made it harder for civilians to leave, with reports of sniper fire from surrounding hillsides. The humanitarian impact has been severe: more than 290,000 people have fled their homes since fighting escalated in August, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The United Nations Population Fund said nearly 6,100 pregnant women were among those recently displaced, including 600 expected to give birth within two weeks of its briefing on Friday. Videos published by Yemeni media showed what they described as the first shipment of medical aid arriving from Marib to support wounded people, displaced families and other residents, while further shipments were reportedly delayed by road closures. What remains unclear is how long government forces can hold the positions they say they have taken in al-Jawf, and whether the fighting will intensify further around Taiz, Marib and other nearby fronts.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
