JEDDAH: The Houthis have lost numerous foreign commanders involved in directing military operations and developing offensive capabilities, a senior Yemeni official said, as the group faces mounting battlefield losses and internal divisions.

Walid al-Qudaimi, Yemen's minister of state, told Asharq Al-Awsat that airstrikes and battlefield operations had killed key foreign commanders fighting alongside the Houthis, as well as senior Houthi figures whose deaths the group has yet to disclose.

He said airstrikes and fighting across several fronts had weakened the militia's military capabilities, inflicting heavy losses in personnel, leadership and equipment.

Foreign commanders involved in directing operations and launching missile and drone attacks on government-held areas and Saudi Arabia were among those hit, he added.

Despite efforts to develop weapons and military technology, the Houthis were facing mounting setbacks and internal disintegration, al-Qudaimi said.

He said tribal leaders, sheikhs and ordinary Yemenis were increasingly recognizing the militia's agenda and refusing to send their sons into battle amid heavy casualties and growing numbers of missing fighters whose fate remained undisclosed.

Al-Qudaimi said Yemeni forces were fighting under a unified command through the joint forces, adding that Operation Dawn of Yemen would continue with Saudi support and under the direct supervision of the chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council until its objectives were met.

He said Yemenis increasingly understood the Houthis' ties to Iran and their role as one of Tehran's regional instruments, expressing his belief that large segments of the population were awaiting the group's removal and the restoration of state institutions.

The conflict extended beyond the Houthis because of the military and logistical support they received from foreign parties, al-Qudaimi said.

He stressed the importance of Yemeni diplomatic efforts to confront countries facilitating Houthi activities or providing assistance, saying such support violated diplomatic and political relations and harmed those countries' ties with Yemen.

His remarks came as Yemeni forces pressed ahead with military operations, intensifying airstrikes, drone attacks and artillery fire against Houthi positions, movements and reinforcements.

Government forces also made fresh gains in Al-Jawf province, while fighting continued on several fronts in Taiz, Dhale and Marib.

Turning to Taiz, al-Qudaimi called the city "an important key to victory over the Houthi militia," saying its residents' resistance reflected Yemenis' determination to confront the group.

He said repeated Houthi attempts to defeat the city militarily had failed despite the deployment of extensive manpower and military resources following the group's seizure of coastal areas.

Al-Qudaimi expressed hope that the Yemeni army would launch further operations to break the siege of Taiz and restore freedom of movement and access to besieged areas.

He also accused the Houthis of hypocrisy, saying they proclaimed solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people while besieging fellow Yemenis in Taiz and denying them basic rights to movement and daily life.