Yemen forces advance in Taiz as Houthis claim attacks on Saudi Arabia
Government-affiliated forces reportedly retook positions in western Taiz as the Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on Saudi targets.
Forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have reportedly retaken positions and advanced in western Taiz after repelling a Houthi offensive, as fighting intensifies in the country’s more than decade-long civil war.
Al Jazeera reported that the advance took place on Sunday in areas including Mocha and Dhubab, with government sources saying air strikes were supporting operations against Houthi positions. The battlefield claims have not been independently verified.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, said on Monday that they had launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi military facilities and infrastructure. The group claimed the targets included aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways and ammunition depots at King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait.
The Houthis said the attacks were retaliation for more than 300 Saudi air strikes across Yemen over five days. Saudi Arabia had not immediately commented on the claims. Alerts issued by Saudi civil defence for Abha and the area around Khamis Mushait were lifted shortly afterwards.
The fighting reportedly reignited in July, threatening a United Nations-brokered truce that halted large-scale violence in 2022. The conflict has since extended towards the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, while reported attacks have also reached southern Saudi Arabia.
The International Organization for Migration said nearly 86,000 people had been displaced by fighting in recent weeks, including more than 2,000 who reached Djibouti.
