Saudi-backed government forces said they had captured the Huwayshian mountain range east of Al-Hazm, the Ansarallah-held capital of Al-Jawf governorate.

The Yemeni army captured on October 31 the strategic mountain range in the northern province of Al-Jawf after battles with Houthi forces, according to a field commander.

Col. Rabie Al-Qurashi, a field commander in Al-Jawf, told Anadolu that government forces secured the entire Huwayshian mountain range east of Al-Hazm, the provincial capital. He said that the advance followed fighting with the Houthis, supported by warplanes that destroyed dozens of vehicles belonging to the group. Government forces had captured parts of the range a day earlier before completing their advance on October 31, the agency reported. The military operation remains underway, he added.

Al-Qurashi described the mountains as Al-Hazm’s first line of defense. Local media said control of the heights could enable government forces to cut supply routes and overlook Ansarallah positions near the city. Al-Hazm itself remained under Ansarallah control.

The government-aligned military separately reported 1,119 strikes in recent hours, claiming to have “neutralized” 427 Ansarallah fighters and destroyed or damaged 142 vehicles, pieces of equipment and means of transport. It also reported continued fighting in Taiz, with air and artillery support targeting Ansarallah movements and reinforcements.

Drone intercepted

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted and destroyed a “hostile” drone over Saudi Arabia's Riyadh region, with no casualties reported.

Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said falling debris caused no casualties and that authorities were inspecting the site. He did not identify the drone’s origin or intended target in the statement.

On October 30, the coalition reported intercepting two other drones over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and southern region. The interceptions came amid repeated missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi airports, energy facilities and military sites.

Saudi Arabia began its military intervention in Yemen in March 2015, after Ansarallah took control of Sanaa and other areas in 2014. Yemen remains divided between the Sanaa-based authorities and the Saudi-backed government, with their forces contesting territory across several fronts.

In another development, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said that “discussions are underway to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance,” a regional pact that brings together Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Al-Shaibani said that Israel had carried out more than 1,000 attacks on his country in less than two years, killing dozens of people.