Yemen · updated 2h ago · 3 min read
Houthis Push Forward in Taiz as Yemeni Forces Strike Houthi Reinforcements and Down Drones
Yemeni army says it foiled a Houthi attack across Taiz and Lahij with six airstrikes. Drones were downed over Aden as government forces engaged Houthi positions in Taiz.
14 outlets told this the same way.
8 of 9 outlets skipped it: saudi warplanes carried out 26 strikes across five Yemeni provinces.
14outlets compared
Taiz fronts widen
Fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis intensified across Taiz Governorate as the Houthis pushed forward with successive combat formations while government forces fought to repel what they described as the fiercest assaults in years. Colonel Major Maeed al-Nzaily said government forces launched air strikes targeting Houthi reinforcements and military movements in areas including Humair, Bani Bakkari, Sam’a, Al-Aqrud, Sixth Street, al-A’mur, and al-Wazi’iyah. Hassan Jouni told Al Jazeera that Houthis pressured Taiz city from several directions and that the most dangerous axis was the al-Aqrud-Hayfan front, which he said sought to isolate Taiz from Aden and cut a vital route for government forces.
Agence France-Presse quoted sources as saying about 80 people were killed in the last 24 hours, with clashes concentrated in Taiz countryside areas overlooking the western coast after the Houthis’ recent control of al-Mokha and their advance toward the Mandeb Strait. The Yemeni army also said it downed Houthi drones over the interim capital Aden and struck targets in Sanaa, Saada, and Taiz as intense clashes erupted on the northern front of the city of Taiz.
Air defenses and strikes
Army spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili said air defenses intercepted and downed Houthi suicide drones over Aden “before they reached their targets in civilian areas and neighborhoods.”
The Taiz Military Axis media center reported “intense clashes” underway between government forces and the Houthis on the northern front of the city of Taiz, while dozens of airstrikes hit Houthi positions across the past 24 hours.
ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English said Yemen’s Taiz province saw its fiercest fighting in years as the Iran-backed Houthis launched simultaneous attacks on several fronts, including a new battlefront in Samea district.
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Col. Majed Al-Nuzaili said precision strikes targeted Houthi reinforcements, weapons and equipment, including three artillery batteries in Al-Wazi’iyah and a mobile air defense system he said Iranian experts had developed in Mocha.
Local sources also said the Houthis fired 23 mortar shells at villages in Al-Dhabab, west of Taiz, spreading fear among civilians.
Road closures and UN warning
Government forces ordered the closure of all roads leading into Taiz and designated them military operational areas, with six military sources telling Reuters that around 19 roads were affected including the main route running from southern Sanaa to Taiz. Al-Jazeera Net said the escalation prompted government forces to announce the closure of about 19 roads and designate them military zones, prohibiting civilians from moving there for fear of targeting any movements. The Houthis also sought to isolate Taiz, with AFP quoting government military sources as saying the Houthis blew up, on Thursday, a bridge on the only road connecting Taiz to Aden, causing traffic and transport to stop on that road.
The UN said it was “deeply concerned” about the intensification of fighting in the Taiz region in southwestern Yemen, warning of grave consequences for Yemeni civilians and the stability of the entire region. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continued contacts with the Yemeni government and the Houthis, and the UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Grundberg had completed a visit to Egypt where he met Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil Fahmy.