At least four people were killed and nine injured in a Houthi missile strike targeting a civilian gathering on the Heijah al-Abd road, located south of Taiz city in southwestern Yemen, according to the state-run Saba news agency. The attack occurred amid intensified combat along key front lines in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates.
The incident follows recent reports from Yemeni government forces, who claim to have recaptured several strategic positions on the Haifan front, also south of Taiz. A military source associated with the 4th Hazm Brigade told Saba that troops seized heights including al-Wathra, Saeed Taha, Dhiban, al-Khadira, and al-Najdain. Officials stated these locations oversee the al-Khazja market and disrupt Houthi supply routes heading toward southern Taiz and northwestern Lahj.
In the capital, Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry reported that fierce battles are raging across other regions. He indicated that Houthi objectives appear to involve advancing toward Bab al-Mandeb and capturing territory leading to the Red Sea port city of al-Makha, historically known as Mocha. Military analysts suggest that securing the Red Sea coastline, particularly through southern Hodeidah and western Taiz, remains a primary goal for the Iran-backed group.
The Houthis previously held al-Makha, which overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, until being expelled by government forces and a Saudi-led coalition in 2017. In July, the rebels announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.
Government officials confirmed that Houthi forces have also made territorial gains. Mawry reported that rebels seized a strategic military base atop a mountain in western Taiz, providing them with oversight of the surrounding area. However, he noted that government reinforcements are en route, with commanders emphasizing that their immediate priority is reclaiming lost positions rather than expanding territory.
The surge in violence has exacerbated a humanitarian emergency. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that heavy shelling in the Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts of Taiz has displaced nearly 1,800 families in under 48 hours. While most displaced persons moved to safer areas within the same districts, aid organizations warn that some families remain trapped on the front lines.
Relief efforts are being hampered by severed phone and internet networks in combat zones, as well as severely depleted emergency stocks. Aid groups have cautioned that their capacity to assist those arriving with little to no food, shelter, or basic supplies is significantly limited.
Heartbreaking news. Four innocent lives lost in a civilian gathering. The humanitarian crisis there is worsening by the day.
Why are we seeing such intense fighting near Taiz again? The frontline seems to shift constantly, trapping civilians in the middle.
I wasn’t aware government forces recently recaptured those strategic heights on the Haifan front. Interesting timing for this missile strike.
Is it just me, or does Al Jazeera’s reporting seem unusually detailed about Houthi objectives compared to other outlets? Skeptical of the bias here.
Nearly 1,800 families displaced in two days? That’s a staggering number. When will aid actually reach these trapped communities?