Yemeni Government Forces Advance in Taiz as Houthi Cross-Border Attacks Escalate

Armed forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have successfully retaken positions from the Houthis, advancing in the southwestern Taiz province as fierce clashes continue to escalate.

Reporting from Taiz on Monday, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Yasser Hassan stated that forces loyal to the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government advanced in western Taiz on Sunday following a successful effort to repel a Houthi offensive. This military progress was bolstered by ongoing air strikes targeting Houthi gatherings in Mocha, Dhubab, and surrounding areas along the west coast.

Meanwhile, the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, released a statement claiming responsibility for launching a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at targets within Saudi Arabia. The group asserted that these strikes targeted critical military facilities and infrastructure at King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, describing the action as retaliation for a Saudi offensive comprising more than 300 air strikes across Yemen over a five-day period.

The current escalation follows a resurgence of fighting in Yemen's decade-long civil war that reignited in July, jeopardizing the UN-brokered truce established in 2022. The renewed conflict has disrupted regional stability, displaced nearly 86,000 people according to the International Organization for Migration, and prompted thousands to flee across the sea to Djibouti.