Taiz: The Yemeni army announced on Wednesday that it had successfully thwarted an infiltration attempt by Houthi fighters near the southwestern city of Taiz. Yemen's official Saba news agency reported that an unnamed military source revealed that army forces managed to force the Houthi elements to flee and retreat from the area. Details regarding the infiltration attempt remain scarce, and the Houthis, known officially as the Ansar Allah group, have yet to issue a response to these claims.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Yemeni army reported that several Houthi fighters were killed or injured in drone strikes near the Al-Salou district in the southeastern Taiz province on Tuesday. These incidents occur amidst renewed hostilities between the Houthis and government forces across several Yemeni provinces, including Marib, Al-Jawf, Al-Dhalea, and Taiz, following a period of relative calm. The ongoing conflict traces back to 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa, leading to years of war with Yemeni government forces supported by a Saudi-led coalition.
The resurgence in fighting, alongside the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2023, has heightened the Houthis' involvement in regional hostilities, with missile attacks on Israel and Israel-linked commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This escalation has reignited fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen, compounded by tensions between Iran and the United States.
In a related development, a coalition of 22 Yemeni political parties and groups issued a statement on Wednesday, calling for comprehensive action against the Houthis to restore state institutions. The National Bloc of Political Parties and Groups, which includes significant Yemeni parties such as the General People's Congress and the Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah), met to evaluate recent political and military developments.
The statement highlighted military escalations by the Iran-backed Houthis, asserting that Yemen is at a crossroads due to Houthi aggression. It urged Yemenis to stay vigilant and prepare for all contingencies, emphasizing that the conflict would only conclude with the defeat of the Houthis and the restoration of state institutions. The bloc stressed the need for a comprehensive military campaign to resolve Yemen's ongoing political crisis and expressed support for Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, led by Rashad Al-Alimi, and its efforts to reassert state control.