Yemeni government forces have clashed with Houthi fighters near the Saudi border as fighting intensifies in the northwestern Al-Jawf region.
AFP footage showed government soldiers moving across desert terrain in armored vehicles and trucks while heavy gunfire could be heard. Government forces were also seen using machine guns, artillery and rocket-propelled grenades against distant positions.
The Houthis released their own footage of the fighting on Wednesday. The group also claimed to have shot down a Saudi fighter jet, although the claim could not be independently verified from the supplied report.
Government Forces Push Toward Houthi Positions
Waleed Al-Mahajeri, an operations commander with the Yemeni government’s Fifth Brigade, said government forces were advancing along the Al-Labanat front.
He told an embedded AFP journalist that the First Division Emergency Forces were moving toward Houthi positions in the area.
Government soldiers said they had captured Al-Masariya Hill and the Al-Labanat camp. AFP footage showed what appeared to be Houthi bodies and abandoned defensive positions.
However, two Yemeni military sources later told AFP that government forces controlled only the lower areas of Al-Labanat camp.
The sources said Houthi fighters remained on higher ground, making it difficult for government troops to take full control of the strategic position.
Al-Labanat Camp Has Strategic Importance
Control of Al-Labanat camp could give government forces an important advantage in their push through Al-Jawf.
The camp sits on elevated ground and is located around 50 kilometres from Al-Hazm, the capital of Al-Jawf governorate.
Capturing the position could therefore help government forces move closer to Al-Hazm. For now, however, Houthi fighters continue to hold the higher ground around the camp, according to the military sources cited by AFP.
The renewed fighting comes after a period of relative calm in Yemen. The country’s civil war had remained largely dormant since 2022 before fighting intensified again in July.
Houthis Claim Saudi Jet Was Shot Down
The Houthis have also released videos showing their fighters moving through the desert in pickup trucks.
One video appeared to show fighters firing at an advancing vehicle. Another recording included night-vision footage of what the group said was a missile striking a fighter jet.
The Houthis later released images of aircraft wreckage. A burned tailfin bearing the Saudi flag was visible in the footage.
The group claimed that its fighters had used a locally produced missile to shoot down a Saudi fighter jet.
The claim has not been independently verified. Saudi authorities had not confirmed the reported loss of an aircraft in the information provided.
Wider Yemen Conflict Escalates
The latest clashes are part of a broader conflict that has divided Yemen for years.
The Houthis control large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. The group has also made significant advances during the latest fighting, according to the supplied report.
Saudi Arabia has long backed Yemen’s internationally recognized government and has carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions.
The latest fighting shows that the conflict remains volatile. Both sides continue to claim battlefield gains, while the strategic battle for territory in Al-Jawf could shape the next phase of the war.
