TAIZ, Oct 5 — Yemen’s military backed by Saudi jets attacked Houthi targets on Monday as they launched an ambitious campaign to recapture all territory from the Iran-backed group after its lightning gains during the Middle East war.
The military said it carried out more than 1,000 strikes, while 100 warplanes attacked at dawn, according to the Saudi-led coalition that supports Yemen’s government.
Yemen’s government announced the lofty goal of retaking all Houthi territory — much of it held for more than a decade — on Sunday.
Last month the Houthis seized swathes of coastline along the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab strait, a chokepoint for oil and cargo shipping.
As the offensive began, a source in the Saudi energy sector told AFP that an attack on Sunday had again halted pumping in the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, a key conduit since Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz.
