Yemeni Army Reports Over 1,500 Houthi Casualties Amid Escalating Clashes in Taiz

Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces executed nearly 500 military operations, resulting in 1,540 Houthi rebels killed or wounded over a 24-hour period, according to official military statements.

Military spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili reported on Friday evening that warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles, and rocket launchers struck Houthi positions across multiple regions of Yemen. The majority of these casualties occurred in the governorate of Taiz, where government operations successfully halted a Houthi advance. The government-held city of Taiz has emerged as a central focal point in the intensified conflict, though Colonel al-Nazili did not disclose any casualties among government forces.

On Saturday, army media official Ammar al-Sami’i informed Al Jazeera that the government shut down the al-Houban crossing in Taiz. This vital route connects Houthi-held al-Houban to the government-controlled Taiz city and serves as one of Yemen's most crucial links between rival territories. Initially closed for nine years, the crossing was reopened to civilians in 2024 for humanitarian purposes. According to Sami’i, the latest closure was enacted for security reasons following a Houthi infiltration attempt, surrounding attacks, and a mounting military buildup.

The closure follows the collapse in July of a fragile 2022 truce, which has led to a sharp escalation in nationwide fighting. In mid-September, Houthi forces advanced across parts of western Yemen, capturing the port city of Mocha and strategic islands located in the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Anti-Houthi forces have since managed to stabilize most front lines, although the renewed hostilities have displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Yemen has remained gripped by civil war since 2014, when the Houthis captured the capital of Sanaa, compelling the internationally recognised government to relocate its operations to Aden.