Taiz: The Yemeni army reported on Thursday evening that 50 members of the Houthi group were killed or injured following a thwarted attack aimed at seizing control of a crucial road linking the cities of Taiz and Mocha in western Yemen.
According to Anadolu Agency, the army's Taiz Axis command stated that the Houthi offensive targeted the Maqbanah and Al-Kadhah fronts, intending to dominate the road connecting Taiz and Mocha. In response, Taiz Axis forces, along with the government-aligned National Resistance, launched a joint counterattack on Houthi positions in these areas. The confrontation resulted in 50 Houthis dead or wounded, though no additional details were provided.
Earlier on Thursday, the Yemeni army announced the capture of military positions from the Houthis after clashes in the southwestern province of Taiz. Unnamed military sources informed the army-run September Net news website that hostilities erupted early in the day as the Houthis attempted to assault army positions on multiple fronts within the Maqbanah district, west of Taiz. The engagement escalated into intense, close-range confrontations involving heavy, medium, and light weapons.
The army forces successfully repelled the attacks, forcing Houthi fighters to retreat from several positions. Subsequently, military units launched a counteroffensive against Houthi positions on the Maqbanah and Al-Kadhah fronts, as per the sources.
The Taiz front experienced significant military escalation on Thursday, with attacks involving ballistic missiles, drones, and ground clashes across the Al-Kadhah, Maqbanah, and Mawza districts in the province's western part. This escalation marks one of the most substantial rounds of fighting in Taiz since a UN-brokered truce in 2022, amidst UN warnings about the risk of Yemen sliding back into broader conflict.
The Houthis have maintained control over the capital Sanaa and other cities since September 2014, while the internationally recognized government and allied forces hold large areas in Yemen's south, east, and west.