Fierce Fighting With Houthis in Yemen, Government Forces Advance in Taiz

International Desk | PNN

The conflict between Yemen’s government forces and the Houthis has intensified again. Armed forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, have recaptured several positions from the Houthis in the southwestern Taiz province and are advancing toward the western areas.

Reporting from Taiz on Monday, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Yasser Hassan said government forces advanced in several areas of western Taiz after repelling a major Houthi offensive on Sunday.

Citing a government military source, he said air strikes were also being conducted alongside ground operations against Houthi positions. Air strikes were continuing particularly against Houthi positions and gatherings in Mocha, Dhubab and surrounding areas along the western coast.

Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed to have carried out retaliatory attacks against several targets in Saudi Arabia. In a statement on Monday, the group, also known as Ansar Allah, said it had used dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.

The Houthis claimed that military installations and infrastructure at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, were targeted. These included aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways and ammunition depots, among other facilities.

According to the Houthis, the attacks were carried out in response to extensive Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen. The group also claimed that more than 300 air strikes had been carried out across Yemen over the past five days.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the Houthi claims.

Earlier on Sunday, Saudi Civil Defence authorities issued warnings to residents of Abha and the Khamis Mushait area. However, the warning was withdrawn shortly afterwards.

Major fighting in Yemen’s more than decade-long civil war had largely subsided after 2022. A ceasefire brokered by the United Nations had also been in effect to halt large-scale conflict. However, the resumption of fighting in July this year has raised concerns that the relative stability could collapse.

The conflict became more complicated after the Houthis announced a maritime blockade around Saudi Arabia and attacked vessels in the Red Sea. Subsequently, various facilities in southern Saudi Arabia, including oil infrastructure, became targets of Houthi attacks. Several people have been injured in these attacks.

The situation became even more tense last week after the Houthis captured several important areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. This has reportedly strengthened their control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Bab al-Mandeb is one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Around 12 percent of global trade, approximately 11 percent of seaborne oil shipments and about 8 percent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments pass through this waterway.

Therefore, disruption to security along this route could affect not only Yemen and Saudi Arabia but also international energy and trade systems.

Meanwhile, there have been reports that the Houthis have strengthened their positions on several other strategic islands in the southern Red Sea. Citing Yemeni government and Houthi officials, the Associated Press reported that Houthi fighters had been deployed on Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish islands.

The two islands are located around 160 kilometres north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Because of their strategic location, the Houthi presence on the islands could create new concerns over the security of Red Sea shipping routes.

Alongside the military escalation, the humanitarian situation is also deteriorating. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said around 86,000 people had been displaced in Yemen amid fighting in recent weeks.

Some of those displaced have also fled the country for safety. According to IOM data, more than 2,000 Yemenis have already reached neighbouring Djibouti.

Analysts fear that displacement could increase further if the conflict continues for an extended period. At the same time, continued military tensions around an important maritime route such as Bab al-Mandeb could create additional pressure on regional security as well as global trade and energy supplies.