Yemen Government Forces Push into Taiz as Houthis Strike Saudi Targets

Units aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government have reclaimed territory and are pressing forward in Taiz province, intensifying a civil war that has destabilized the region for over a decade. According to Al Jazeera Arabic reporter Yasser Hassan, these forces moved into western Taiz on Sunday following the repulsion of a Houthi offensive, utilizing air support to target enemy concentrations along the western coast near Mocha and Dhubab.

In retaliation, the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, announced the launch of dozens of ballistic missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia. The group stated these strikes targeted military infrastructure at the King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, including aircraft hangars, radar systems, and ammunition depots. They described the operation as a direct response to more than 300 Saudi airstrike missions conducted across Yemen over the preceding five days.

Saudi authorities had previously issued civil defense alerts for the Abha area and Khamis Mushait on Sunday, which were subsequently lifted. No immediate comment was provided by Saudi officials regarding the Houthi claims.

The renewed hostilities, which began in July, threaten a UN-brokered truce established in 2022. The escalation was triggered after the Houthis imposed a maritime blockade and targeted vessels in the Red Sea. Violence has since expanded beyond Yemen’s borders, with Houthi air attacks injuring dozens in southern Saudi Arabia and damaging oil facilities.

Tensions have further spiked following Houthi efforts to strengthen their control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical global trade corridor handling approximately 12 percent of worldwide commerce. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked by Iranian forces since the onset of conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran in February, the Red Sea route has become a vital economic artery for Saudi oil exports.

On Monday, the Associated Press reported that Houthi fighters had taken positions on the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, located roughly 160 kilometers north of the strait, according to both Yemeni government and Houthi sources.

The humanitarian toll continues to mount. The International Organization for Migration reported on Sunday that recent clashes have displaced nearly 86,000 people within Yemen. Additionally, more than 2,000 refugees have fled across the border to Djibouti seeking safety from the ongoing fighting.