Intense Clashes Erupt as Houthis Launch Major Offensive on Strategic Yemeni City of Taiz

Fighting between government forces and Iran-backed rebels around the strategic city of Taiz in south-west Yemen has intensified significantly, with the Houthis making desperate attempts to break into the area.

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Col Majed Al Nazili stated that government warplanes executed 15 air strikes targeting various Houthi positions situated on the outskirts of Taiz. The rebels had previously clashed with government forces in residential neighborhoods located east of the city, which sits approximately 100km away from Mokha, an area seized by the Houthis last month.

“The strikes killed dozens of Houthi fighters and reinforcements, while also destroying equipment and vehicles belonging to the group,” Col Majed Al Nazili said.

The Houthis are actively seeking to control the strategic Kahboub mountain range near Yemen's Taiz. Taiz holds vital strategic importance due to its unique geography, as it links the Houthi-held north with the government-held south, alongside the Red Sea coast. Whoever maintains control over the city ultimately controls the movement of weapons and supplies between the various frontlines and the southern port city of Aden.

In response to the escalating violence, Yemen's Defence Ministry issued an urgent safety warning to residents late on Thursday, advising people to steer clear of active combat zones and avoid dozens of roads across Taiz to ensure their safety.

According to the UN, renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 133,000 people, predominantly from Taiz and Lahj, with numbers expected to rise further. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed deep alarm over developments in Taiz, highlighting that fighting has escalated significantly, and strongly urged the Houthis to halt their military offensive.

“Taiz is the third-largest city of Yemen and it is the governorate that is currently hosting the majority of the newly displaced Yemenis following the recent fighting in other areas,” Hans Grundberg added in an official statement.

These latest developments coincided with an attack conducted by the Iran-backed rebels on a power distribution station in Madinah, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The targeted power station supplies electricity to the Prophet's Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites. While the attack successfully put one transformer out of service, it ultimately did not disrupt the broader power network. The Houthis have strongly denied involvement in this attack.

Additionally, on Friday morning, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis announced that it had intercepted and successfully destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the rebels toward the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, though no specific details regarding damage or casualties were provided. In recent weeks, the rebels have noticeably escalated missile and drone attacks directed at Saudi Arabia.

The broader conflict between Yemeni government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis escalated back into full-scale fighting last month, after remaining largely frozen since a truce was officially agreed upon in 2022. The Houthis have maintained control over Yemen's capital Sanaa and several other regions across the country since the civil war began in 2014.