Yemen’s military has intensified airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces around Taiz, Mokha, Khokha and other Red Sea areas, in what local army officials say is a preparatory phase for a ground offensive aimed at retaking territory around Bab Al-Mandab. The Yemeni army said it targeted Houthi fighters, military equipment and buildings used by the group in Dhubab, Mokha and Khokha. In Taiz, jets also struck what the military described as a Houthi ballistic missile launcher at the city’s airport. Military officials said much of the air campaign had focused on areas around Mokha, which fell to the Houthis last week, as government forces seek to weaken Houthi positions before launching a ground advance. Abdul Basit Al-Baher, deputy head of the Yemeni army’s Moral Guidance Division in Taiz, told Arab News that jets were maintaining a near-constant presence over Houthi-held areas along the Red Sea coast. “The sound of aircraft is constant, continuing around the clock and targeting anything that moves — even fighters on motorcycles,” Al-Baher said. “There is a heavy aerial presence targeting militia command-and-control centers, crews, machinery, vehicles and combatants.” He added that more than 200 Houthi fighters had been killed in strikes over recent days, a figure that could not be independently verified. Al-Baher described the bombardment as an “aerial and artillery preparatory phase” intended to clear the way for government troops to advance. “Preparations are underway for a major ground offensive and military operation, set to launch in the coming days, to regain control over this vital region — including Mokha, Dhubab and Bab Al-Mandab — extending as far as Al-Jarrahi,” he said. Al-Baher added that the open terrain along the Red Sea coast leaves Houthi forces particularly exposed to airstrikes. “Given the nature of the targeted areas — open coastal terrain — the militias can neither flee nor dig in,” he said. “They will be easy targets for airstrikes, as their forces and personnel are fully exposed. They have no escape routes and cannot hold their ground. They will suffer heavy losses and ultimately be forced to withdraw.” Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Col. Majed Al-Nuzaili said government forces had destroyed Houthi equipment and targeted fighters and positions occupied by the group in Dhubab, in Taiz province, and Khokha, in Hodeidah. The Taiz military command separately said air force jets had struck a Houthi ballistic missile launcher inside Taiz airport, describing the operation as an attack on one of the group’s missile capabilities. The strikes come amid a wider escalation across several Yemeni fronts following rapid Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast. The loss of Mokha and Houthi expansion toward Bab Al-Mandab have raised the strategic stakes for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which has vowed to regain control of the coastline and the key maritime chokepoint. The military escalation has also triggered a growing humanitarian crisis. Authorities in Aden have formed a humanitarian response cell to deal with waves of people displaced by the fighting and coordinate assistance with aid organizations. Yemen’s Executive Unit for the Management of Displacement Camps said that more than 95,000 people had been displaced across six government-held provinces by Sept. 13. According to the unit, 13,980 families — about 95,324 people — had been registered as displaced in Taiz, Lahj, Hodeidah, Aden, Abyan and Shabwa. Taiz had received the largest number, with 7,782 families comprising about 54,643 people, followed by Lahj, Hodeidah and Aden. The unit said thousands of families had been forced to flee suddenly, leaving behind their homes, possessions and livelihoods. Many were living without adequate shelter, food, clean water, healthcare or protection, while hundreds of families were being accommodated by host communities already under severe economic pressure. It appealed to UN agencies, international and local organizations and donors for urgent humanitarian and financial assistance, particularly for children, women, older people and those with disabilities. The battlefield escalation has meanwhile spilled across Yemen’s borders. Yemen’s Foreign Ministry condemned Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks on the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday, saying the strikes injured 13 civilians and damaged homes and vehicles. The ministry described the attacks as a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to the Kingdom’s security and stability. It highlighted Yemen’s support for Saudi Arabia and its right to take necessary measures to protect its citizens, residents, territory and infrastructure. The ministry also rejected the use of Yemeni territory as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries and called on the international community to take stronger action to halt Houthi attacks, disrupt the group’s financing and weapons supplies, and support the Yemeni government in restoring state institutions and placing weapons and sovereign decision-making exclusively under state authority. The coming days are expected to show whether the intensified air campaign remains primarily an effort to contain Houthi gains or marks the opening phase of the government’s promised ground offensive to retake Mokha, Dhubab and the approaches to Bab Al-Mandab.