SANA’A (Dispatches) -- 
Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces intensified operations against Saudi-backed mercenaries and the fugitive former regime across multiple fronts in Ta’iz province, while conducting retaliatory strikes targeting Saudi positions in southern Yemen and inside the kingdom, as Sana’a-based authorities firmly rejected Riyadh’s accusations regarding the holy city of Medina.
Field reports on Friday indicated that Yemeni forces were advancing on key supply routes and strategic positions in Ta’iz province, directly targeting the arteries connecting northern and southern Yemen. 
Advancements were reported in the Jabal Habashi, Al-Shamaytayn, and Samie areas, with a push toward Al-Turbah. The newspaper Al-Akhbar reported gains in parts of southern Ta’iz, aiming to exert pressure on the main routes between Ta’iz and Aden.
Hajja al-Abd has emerged as a pivotal battleground, serving as the primary communication route between Ta’iz and Lahj/Aden. 
Any prolonged disruption of this passage would severely hamper the transfer of troops and equipment from the south to the Ta’iz fronts. Field reports detailed intense clashes on this axis, with Yemeni forces reportedly attempting to sever the supply lines of Saudi-backed forces.
The Saudi-backed former regime announced that fighter jets conducted 20 airstrikes against Yemeni forces in Ta’iz province over a three-hour period. Reports also indicated the closure of approximately 19 entry routes to the province due to the intensity of the fighting. 
The reported death of Muhammad Salem Abdullah Al-Khoulani, chief of staff of the Strike Forces affiliated with the so-called Presidential Leadership Council, underscored the ferocity of the battle.
Meanwhile, Yemeni armed forces conducted a dual missile and drone attack targeting positions in the Al-Buraiqa district of Aden province, where Saudi troops are stationed. A Yemeni military source confirmed that any attempt to reconstitute Saudi military deployments on Yemeni territory would be targeted immediately.
Retaliatory operations against Saudi Arabia continued, with Khamis Mushait and Jazan targeted.  
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry stressed that the “criminal” Saudi regime poses a threat to the Muslim holy sites — not Sana’a, which has been making sacrifices to defend them. 
The statement came after Saudi Arabia accused Yemeni armed forces of attacking a power distribution station in Medina on Tuesday. 
The ministry slammed Riyadh for repeating its “false narrative” and exploiting the sanctity of the Muslim holy sites, stressing that the Saudi regime, rather than Yemen, “poses a threat to the Ummah’s holy sites”.
Chairman of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat held the Saudi regime fully responsible for any attack on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, warning against any false-flag attack.