On February 25, forces loyal to Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi captured the al-Nukhsh mountains in the Nihm district east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa following violent clashes with the Houthis, according to Yemeni sources. Pro-Hadi fighters reportedly destroyed five vehicles belonging to the Houthis and killed 25 Houthi fighters.
The UAE-based al-Arabiya TV reported that Saudi-led coalition warplanes backed the pro-Hadi forces attack in the Nihm district and destroyed a position of the Houthis around the al-Nukhsh mountains.
According to Yemeni sources, the Saudi-led coalition launched its attack on the al-Nukhsh mountains on February 22 after its forces had repelled a large attack by the Houthis on its positions in Nihm district.
The city of Sanaa has been one of the main targets of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen since the outbreak of the Yemeni war in 2015. Since then, the Saudi-led coalition and pro-Hadi forces have launched several large operations to capture the capital from the Houthis.
However, the Houthis have been able to repel all of the Saudi-led coalition attacks on Sanaa. One of the widely used moves by the Houthis is to withdraw from several empty areas around the capital and then launch several counter-attacks against the Saudi-led coalition once it enters these areas.
