Yemen's army retakes hills west of Taiz as Houthi offensive kills over 120
Yemeni government forces said they recaptured the al-Khazan and al-Makahna hills in Jabal Habashi district west of Taiz on Friday, a day after Houthi fighters seized them in a broad offensive aimed at high ground overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the port of Mokha. An AFP tally put the dead at more than 120 since the assault began, up from an earlier count of 81, in what officials called Yemen's worst clashes in years.
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Government troops retake hills seized by the Houthis a day earlier
Yemeni government forces said on Friday they had recaptured the al-Khazan and al-Makahna hills in the Jabal Habashi district west of Taiz, a day after Houthi fighters seized them as part of a coordinated ground assault, backed by artillery, missiles and drones, against government positions in Taiz and Hodeidah provinces. Al-Monitor reported the government also fought in Maqbanah and al-Kadaha, west of Taiz, and that the Houthis fired at least 12 missiles and dozens of artillery rounds before the assault. Al Jazeera said none of the claims from either side have been independently verified.[1], [2]
The toll rises past 120 as both sides report heavy losses
Yemen's military reported losing 24 troops near the west coast and 15 more in the fighting around Taiz, while medical sources in Houthi-held areas put Houthi dead at least 42, Al Jazeera reported, and an AFP tally counted more than 120 killed since the offensive began. Al-Monitor put the AFP-compiled toll at 129 by Friday, up from an earlier count of 81, citing a Yemeni military official who said 66 of his men had been killed and medical and military sources close to the Houthis who said at least 62 fighters had died, plus one civilian.[1], [2]
The fight for high ground threatens the Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane
Al Jazeera reported the Houthis had launched their offensive to seize high ground overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the port of al-Makha, while Al-Monitor said the rebels are trying to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha and tighten their hold on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which they have disrupted with attacks on passing vessels since the Gaza war began in 2023. Al-Monitor reported the internationally recognized government dispatched military reinforcements to Taiz and Hodeidah, and quoted Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi, who vowed a decisive response and said the Houthis had failed to make significant gains on the ground.[1], [2]
