Taiz:Maj. Gen. Mohammed Salem Abdullah al-Khawlani, chief of staff of the Interior Ministry's Emergency Forces in Yemen, has been killed during clashes with Houthi fighters in the southwestern province of Taiz.

According to Anadolu Agency, this incident marks the highest-ranking security official whose death has been reported by the Yemeni government since the recent military escalation began in July.

The Interior Ministry stated that Al-Khawlani was killed while executing his national duty on the Al-Kadaha front. The military escalation in Taiz province has been significant, with intense battles reported particularly on the Al-Kadaha, Jabal Habashi, Maqbanah, and Al-Misrakh fronts.

In recent days, Yemeni government forces have engaged in fierce battles across multiple fronts in Taiz, supported by airstrikes targeting Houthi positions and ongoing fighting in various parts of the province. The conflict in Yemen has persisted since the Houthis took control of Sanaa and several other provinces in 2014, leading to intervention by a Saudi-led coalition in 2015 to back Yemen's internationally recognized government.