Yemen fighting intensifies as Houthis tighten hold on Red Sea coast
Renewed clashes have displaced nearly 46,000 people, with government forces regrouping as Saudi-backed efforts seek to reverse Houthi gains.
Fighting has intensified across Yemen after Houthi forces captured the strategic port city of Mocha and the island of Mayyun, according to Al Jazeera Global News. The advances have strengthened the group’s position along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key shipping route.
Yemeni government forces say they have carried out air attacks near Mocha and along the Mocha–Dhubab road. Houthi forces have accused Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, of conducting more than 100 air attacks in 48 hours. Saudi Arabia has not officially acknowledged the reported coalition raids.
The reported fighting and air raids extend across Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf, Hodeidah, Saada, Amran, Hajjah and Dhalea. Government forces that withdrew from the western coast are regrouping in Marib and say they intend to return to the battlefield. The competing battlefield claims and reports of territorial control have not been independently verified.
The United Nations says nearly 46,000 people have been displaced since the latest escalation. More than 2,000 Yemenis have reportedly reached Djibouti, while the International Organization for Migration says more than 76,000 people have been displaced since July. The figures cover different periods.
The Houthis have also claimed missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia, including an alleged strike on a military base at Sharurah. The date of that operation was not specified. Iran has praised the Houthi advances while maintaining that the group makes its own decisions and should not be treated merely as a proxy.
