Fresh Yemen Clashes Kill Over 60 Amid Houthi Red Sea Push

Fighting between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and Houthi rebels killed more than 60 people on Saturday, including civilians, in the country's southwest.

Medical and military sources told AFP that 26 government troops and 31 rebel fighters died during several hours of clashes. A missile strike also killed six civilians traveling by bus and wounded seven others in Taiz, with a government official blaming the Houthis for the attack. These renewed clashes follow Friday's fighting, which an AFP tally compiled from several sources reported killed 129 people, marking some of the deadliest combat in years.

The escalation comes after a 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July. The Houthi offensive aims to seize control of the gateway to the Red Sea, specifically targeting the Bab al-Mandab strait and advancing towards areas bordering it. Military experts state control over the Red Sea coastline is a main goal for the Houthis, requiring ground security across southern Hodeidah and western Taiz.

Government forces have responded with reinforcements arriving from Aden and launched air attacks. Government warplanes carried out at least 15 strikes on Friday against Houthi positions in Taiz and Hodeidah. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the government, conducted three airstrikes targeting Houthi positions recently captured in Taiz. Yemeni government forces also recaptured Tabbat al-Khazan in the Jabal Habashi district on Friday and shot down a Houthi drone on the Maqbanah front. Yemen's leader vowed to never allow Iran and the Houthis to take control of Bab el-Mandeb.