Yemeni government forces retake key positions in al-Jawf after counteroffensive

▲ Escalating

Yemeni government forces say they retook key positions in al-Jawf

On Sunday, Yemeni government forces said they seized strategic positions in al-Jawf, including weapons and ammunition depots, after a counteroffensive. On Friday and Saturday, reports said Syria is weighing joining Saudi Arabia's defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan, and the UN rights chief demanded an independent probe into the death of a UN staffer in Houthi custody. The Houthis and Saudi Arabia continue to trade strikes, and humanitarian conditions remain severe.

• UNHCR said on Friday that more than 280,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Yemen, with many unable to reach aid because it is too dangerous.
• Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a Houthi drone aimed at Mecca; the Houthis deny targeting the Mecca region. Separately, the Houthis claim six attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities.
• Taiz governor Nabil Shamsan says supplies of oxygen, food and water are running low under a month-long Houthi siege.
• Houthi missiles are striking Aden, where residents are stockpiling food and drawing up escape plans.