Yemen · 07 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Yemen’s Army Media Centre Says Houthis Fired 14 Ballistic Missiles, Killed 18 Fighters
Houthi forces fired 14 ballistic missiles in attacks on western Taiz and al-Mokha fronts. Yemeni Army Media Centre says 18 government fighters were killed in the exchanges.
Whether the focus is government deterrence or Houthi offensive aims.
5 of 6 outlets skipped it: a displacement wave is triggered near Jabal Habashi camp.
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Akhbar as-Su‘ūdiyya
“reflects the cohesion of the armed forces and their high readiness to deter the Houthis’ escalation”
Translated from the original.
Read the original ↗Al Jazeera
“attempted to advance to reach and cut the road linking Taiz to al-Makha”Read the original ↗
Akhbar as-Su‘ūdiyya emphasises government unity and deterrence. Al Jazeera emphasises Houthi offensive aims to cut Taiz from the coast.
Taiz and the western coast
Yemen’s Minister of Information Ma’mar Al-Iryani said reinforcements arriving on the Taiz front and the western coast reflect the cohesion and high readiness of the armed forces to deter the Houthis’ escalation and restore state institutions.
“represents a strategically crucial step”
Al-Iryani said the arrival of reinforcements to the Taiz front and the western coast, with active participation from the Giants Brigade and the Nation’s Shield forces, represents a “strategically crucial step” showing unity and seamless coordination among Yemeni armed formations.
In parallel, Al Jazeera reported that Houthi fighters attempted to advance to reach and cut the road linking Taiz to al-Makha (Mocha), aiming to sever Taiz city from the coast.A
Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry, reporting from the Yemeni capital Sanaa, said taking control of al-Makha would cut off government forces from a strategic supply route and give Houthis a foothold in the Red Sea.A
Yemen’s Army Media Centre said Houthis fired 14 ballistic missiles and launched drones at populated districts in the provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah, and it said more than 18 Houthi fighters were killed as they clashed with Yemeni forces on Thursday.
Air strikes and competing tolls
As the fighting unfolded, Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched air attacks against Houthi positions, with Government warplanes carrying out at least 15 strikes on Friday against Houthi positions, gatherings and vehicles in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah, according to the Yemeni military.
Al Jazeera reported that the air assault provided support to government forces fighting a major Houthi offensive towards the Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and it framed the escalation as some of the country’s heaviest fighting since the fragile truce in 2022.A
Yousef Mawry said, “Both sides are now scrabbling to gain territory and gain control not just on land, but at sea,” as he described attempts at resuming talks and establishing a ceasefire failing.
Casualty figures varied across outlets and sources, with Al Jazeera Net reporting that more than 80 people were killed in clashes between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis since Thursday, including 24 government troops killed near the western coast and 15 more killed in clashes in Taiz.A
In the same Al Jazeera Net report, medical sources in areas under Houthi control reported at least 42 militants killed, while AFP was cited for government and Houthi-side death tolls that did not match.A
Displacement and stakes at Bab al-Mandeb
The renewed clashes triggered displacement, with Al Jazeera reporting that Abdullah Saeed, 47, fled his home in the Maqbanah district west of Taiz in 2022 and then, after Houthi attacks targeted Jabal Habashi, he said, “There was no solution but to take our basic belongings and flee.”A
“There was no solution but to take our basic belongings and flee”
Al Jazeera also reported that Saeed said, “We have fled for the second time, but there are also families who fled for the first time,” as he described dire need for shelter and basic services while staying with relatives at another camp for displaced people.A
On the military side, Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis launched an offensive using missiles and drones before initiating ground fighting described as the fiercest since 2022, and it said the fighting centered on areas west of Taiz and around al-Makha (Mocha) near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.A
Al Jazeera Net quoted the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi warning that any Houthi adventure toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait would turn into a “severe drain” for it, while the same report said the battles left dozens of dead and wounded and hundreds of civilians displaced.A
Al Jazeera’s coverage tied the stakes to the Red Sea route, noting that control of the area could strengthen the Houthis’ position along the Red Sea and threaten a key government supply route, as the fighting unfolded against a backdrop that included the Houthis declaring a Red Sea maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.