Dozens Killed in Renewed Clashes Between Yemeni Government and Houthis
Clashes between Houthi forces and pro-Saudi Yemeni government troops in Taiz and Hodeidah have left dozens dead, amid rising regional tensions and strategic threats.
Arabic media outlets reported an escalation on multiple fronts in southwestern Yemen, including the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates. According to reports, fierce clashes and artillery shelling between the Houthis and pro-Saudi Yemeni government forces resulted in dozens of casualties.
Sky News Arabia reported that 52 Houthi operatives were killed in exchanges of fire with government forces. Simultaneously, Yemeni sources reported that 98 government soldiers were killed in Houthi missile strikes across western Yemen.
Government forces reportedly intercepted Houthi drone attacks and conducted airstrikes targeting militant gatherings and weapons depots. Meanwhile, the Saudi Al-Arabiia channel reported that government forces maintain control over the central route in Taiz governorate, successfully repelling Houthi infiltration attempts.
In recent weeks, the Houthis reportedly seized the strategic port city of Mokha in western Yemen, alongside islands in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Analysts note this grants the group control over the strait and an enhanced capability to disrupt international shipping lanes.
A Yemeni source warned that the takeover poses a strategic threat to all of southern Yemen. Additionally, reports indicate that Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump for assistance during a telephone conversation.
Iranian military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi commented on the escalation, stating that the Houthis possess independent strategies and significant advancements in weapons production, warning that any attacks by the U.S. or Israel would expand the war front.
