Taiz:Three civilians, including two women, lost their lives and five others were injured due to shelling by Yemen's Houthis in the southwestern province of Taiz. The attack occurred in the Sabir al-Mawadim district, south of the province, as reported by a government office.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the government-run Office of Siege Affairs in Taiz identified the deceased as Safwan Saeed Obeid, 28, Asia Abdulsamad Saeed Ahmed, 55, and Safiya Hazza Saif al-Baadani.

The Houthis also launched separate shelling attacks on the al-Shaqab area south of Taiz and Aqaqa in the west, resulting in injuries to five civilians, including two women.

In a related development on Friday, the Yemeni army announced it had repelled a significant Houthi assault on the al-Shaqab front south of Taiz. The clashes, which lasted approximately eight hours, resulted in the deaths of 16 Houthi fighters and injuries to others, According to Taiz Military Axis.

The army further reported conducting airstrikes on Houthi positions at various strategic locations, including the al-Hangar checkpoint and the al-Maqbaba and al-Kamil hills in the al-Dabab area west of Taiz. These strikes also targeted Houthi military reinforcements, weapons, and equipment east of the al-Shaqab front. The Houthis have not yet commented on these military claims.

The recent hostilities reflect a military escalation that began in July, marking the most significant uptick in conflict since a UN-brokered truce was implemented in April 2022. Yemen's ongoing conflict started in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces, leading to a Saudi-led coalition intervention in March 2015 to support the internationally recognized government.