Fighting between government forces and the Houthis in Yemen has intensified on several fronts, particularly in the strategic Taiz province near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The sides are seeking to advance on the ground and gain the upper hand over opposing forces.
Government forces take control of Samia Fortress in Taiz
Government forces and Popular Resistance forces captured Samia Fortress southeast of Taiz. After the fortress was taken, fighting moved toward the Al-Jasha area, while pro-government forces continued their attacks against Houthi forces.
The capture of Samia Fortress was followed by heavy fighting on the Al-Kadha, Jabal Habashi and Al-Shumaytin fronts west of Taiz. The Yemeni army said the Houthis’ advance was halted after several hours of fighting on Taiz’s western front and at Han Mountain and Hizran.
Four Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down on the Al-Shahla front east of Al-Jawf province.
Army reports 257 attacks and at least 700 casualties
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced that 257 attacks had been carried out against Houthi targets in Sana’a, Midi, Baqim, Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda, Lahij and Taiz. The attacks targeted command and control centers, assembly and reinforcement points, reserve units, weapons and ammunition depots, military supply lines and vehicles.
The Yemeni army said at least 700 Houthis were killed or wounded in the attacks, while 170 military and combat vehicles were destroyed or rendered unusable.
Operations on the Taiz and Tur al-Baha fronts
Colonel Majid Abdullah al-Nazili, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said Houthi military reinforcements had been targeted along the Taiz axis and on the Tur al-Baha front. Al-Nazili said fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery units, missiles and snipers were used in the operations.
The statement said 260 Houthi personnel were killed after 97 operations, while 44 military, transport and supply vehicles were destroyed or rendered unusable.
Attacks on targets in Sana’a and Saada
The Yemeni army announced that it had carried out airstrikes against military targets in Sana’a, which is controlled by the Houthis. Al-Masirah TV, affiliated with the Houthis, claimed that a series of airstrikes had been carried out on Sana’a and that the attacks originated from Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces said vital Houthi targets in Sana’a and Saada had been struck. He also said Houthi forces’ capabilities and resources would not be safe beyond the army’s strike range and that these elements would be destroyed.
Background to the fighting
Tensions have been rising for days on several fronts in Taiz province, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Houthi forces have attempted to advance and launch attacks in rural areas.
Yemen’s civil war began after the Houthis seized control of the capital Sana’a and several provinces in September 2014. The Saudi-led Arab Coalition has supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government since March 2015.
Fighting between government forces and the Houthis began to intensify in July. The Houthis periodically launch ballistic missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, claiming that attacks have been carried out against them.
