Yemeni Government Forces Claim Gains Against Houthis Amid Escalating Clashes

Yemen's internationally recognized government says its forces have made gains against the Houthis as fighting has escalated in recent weeks, raising fears of a return to full-scale war.

Government forces on Saturday recaptured strategically located territory in Hodeidah province and advanced in western Taiz. The Iran-aligned Houthis still control the capital, Sanaa, and several other cities, and have recently advanced around Taiz, seeking to threaten the government-held port of al-Makha (Mocha) and move towards areas bordering the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb strait. Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the Yemeni government, has carried out air strikes against Houthi positions.

The heaviest clashes are in Taiz and Hodeidah provinces and along the western Red Sea coast. Yemen's military stated it recaptured Hais district, south of Hodeidah, an area linking Hodeidah, Taiz, and Ibb provinces. Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi stated Yemen's armed forces are capable of restoring full control over the country's territory and warned Houthis will bear the consequences.

Fighting between Houthis and Yemeni government forces killed dozens of combatants and civilians Saturday. Twenty-six government troops and 31 Houthi fighters were killed during several hours of combat in southwestern Yemen. Six civilians were killed and seven wounded when a missile struck a bus in Taiz. On Friday, 129 were killed in fighting between rebel and government forces.

The 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July when an Iranian plane attempted to land in Houthi-controlled Sana'a, prompting Yemeni government attacks on the airport. Reinforcements were arriving from Aden to halt the Houthi advance, and Yemeni jets struck Houthi lines in Taiz for the first time since July.