Marib / Mohammed al-Samei / Anadolu

Yemeni Defense Minister Taher al-Aqeeli held an expanded meeting to discuss developments in the military situation in the country, in the presence of representatives from the command of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen.

The meeting took place in the city of Marib in central Yemen, according to what was published early Thursday by the website "September Net," the official spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

The meeting included Chief of General Staff Sagheer bin Aziz, heads of the Operations and Logistics Support departments, deputies of the Manpower and Intelligence departments, and commanders of the Third, Sixth, and Seventh Military Regions, in the presence of representatives from the command of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, according to the website.

The meeting discussed developments in the military situation in the theater of operations and mechanisms to enhance coordination and integration between military units and formations, ensuring performance efficiency in carrying out national tasks.

During the meeting, al-Aqeeli directed maintaining the highest levels of readiness and vigilance, and enhancing the level of coordination between military units and formations, contributing to raising performance efficiency and dealing with field developments.

In recent days, tensions have escalated in Yemen, whose government is supported by Saudi Arabia through its leadership of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, while Iran is accused of supporting the Houthi group.

On Tuesday, al-Aqeeli announced that the army is ready to wage what he called the battle to "end the Houthi coup."

Despite intermittent clashes, Yemen has witnessed since April 2022 a de-escalation in a war that began more than 11 years ago between government forces and the Houthi group, which has controlled provinces and cities, including Sanaa, since September 21, 2014.

On Thursday morning, Riyadh announced that a ship belonging to it was targeted in the Red Sea, causing a fire in its front, with no casualties.

On Wednesday evening, the Houthi group spoke about targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones, causing a fire in both.

The group had announced on Monday the imposition of a "maritime navigation ban" on Saudi Arabia, in response to what it said was a blockade imposed by Riyadh on areas under Houthi control in neighboring Yemen.