Taiz: Yemeni government forces have successfully retaken two strategic positions located between the western provinces of Taiz and Lahj after clashes with the Houthi militia, a government official announced recently.
According to Anadolu Agency, Fayyad al-Numan, assistant undersecretary at Yemen's Information Ministry, stated that the armed forces, in collaboration with the Popular Resistance on the Al-Aghbara front, reclaimed the Al-Bazla mountain and the Madkhula area. These gains were achieved following intense battles with the Houthi forces. Al-Numan further detailed that the government forces inflicted both casualties and equipment losses on the Houthis and targeted their reinforcements.
The government forces also attacked other Houthi-held positions and military vehicles in Al-Hartha village, located in the Al-Dharifa area of Al-Wazi'iyah district, west of Taiz. The strategic significance of the Al-Aghbara front lies in its location, bridging Lahj and Taiz provinces and linking it to operational fronts across both regions.
The Houthis have not commented on these recent clashes, which are part of broader shifts in territorial control and escalating conflicts across Yemen. Recently, the Houthis have advanced along the western coast, capturing strategic areas in Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, including Mokha city and Red Sea islands like Mayyun in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Simultaneously, government forces have made progress in Al-Jawf province, advancing toward the provincial capital, Al-Hazm, amidst ongoing clashes in Marib, Al-Dhalea, and Al-Bayda. Local media have reported airstrikes targeting Houthi positions and movements in various regions.
These developments are set against a backdrop of increased military activity that began in early July, marking the most intense escalation since a UN-brokered truce in April 2022. The conflict in Yemen, which erupted in September 2014 after the Houthis seized the national capital, Sanaa, has led to a prolonged war involving a Saudi-led Arab coalition supporting the internationally recognized government.