Yemeni government forces, Houthis clash across four provinces as fighting intensifies
Government forces report strikes on Houthi positions and new reinforcements near Bab al-Mandab as Yemen sees its broadest escalation since 2022
SANAA (AA) — Fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces and the Houthi movement has spread across four provinces as the country witnesses its sharpest military escalation in years.
Clashes and attacks were reported Wednesday in Taiz, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Al-Hudaydah, while government reinforcements were deployed to the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The government-aligned Giants Brigades said its forces carried out “precise strikes” against Houthi gatherings along Yemen’s western coast.
The group released footage showing vehicles and fighters being targeted but did not disclose the exact location.
It separately said government forces struck a Houthi vehicle in Al-Bayda province, killing those inside.
The brigades also reported shooting down a Houthi drone on the Al-Bayda front Tuesday evening.
In Al-Hudaydah, local government authorities said two civilians were killed after Houthi mortar fire struck villages in Hays district.
Government forces also reported repelling Houthi advances on other fronts.
In Taiz province, forces prevented the Houthis from advancing toward Al-Wazi’iyah district, according to district chief Ali al-Dhrafi.
The area is considered strategically important because of its proximity to Bab al-Mandab, one of the world’s most important shipping routes linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
In Al-Dhale province, government forces repelled a Houthi assault in the Murais area before launching a counterattack against the group’s positions, according to state-run Yemen TV.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman al-Lahji, commander of the government-aligned Nation’s Shield Forces, arrived in Mokha with additional troops for active battlefronts.
The latest clashes mark the broadest escalation between the two sides since a UN-brokered truce largely halted major fighting in 2022.
Although the truce later expired, large-scale confrontation remained limited until hostilities resumed in July this year.
Fighting has intensified in recent days in Taiz, Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda, alongside airstrikes against Houthi positions.
The escalation has also spilled into Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh said Houthi missile and drone attacks Tuesday on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran injured 73 civilians, including women and children.
The Houthis said they had targeted Saudi Aramco facilities and an air base with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.
Yemen’s conflict began after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and large parts of the country in 2014.
A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
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