Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Houthi fighters are locked in a heavy armed confrontation over the southwestern governorate of Taiz, a vital strategic region that connects the contested country. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi Arabia-backed Presidential Leadership Council, announced a major counter-offensive aimed at driving Houthi forces back and recapturing lost territory, sparking intense fighting across multiple axes around Taiz City and its surrounding highlands.
Analysts warn that the Houthis are attempting to entrench and expand the territorial gains made during their swift advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline last month, which brought the group closer to the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Taiz governorate, home to roughly 4.5 million people, remains a critical bulwark for the Yemeni government. A collapse of defensive lines in Taiz would potentially sever the territorial link between government strongholds and the southern port city of Aden, where primary administrative bodies are currently situated.
The focal point of the current combat is concentrated around Jabal Han, a commanding mountain ridge overlooking the western approaches to Taiz City. Seizing this high ground would allow Houthi units to place critical resupply corridors under direct fire. Ground fighting has spilled into suburban villages, accompanied by heavy artillery bombardments, Katyusha rocket strikes, and drone warfare. Local officials reported civilian casualties from indiscriminate shelling, including the death of a two-week-old infant in the Dhubab district.
The rapid escalation has deepened the severe humanitarian tragedy in Yemen, triggering the displacement of nearly 200,000 civilians since early September, predominantly from Taiz governorate. International aid organizations, including the UNHCR and the WHO, have issued stark warnings regarding the imminent collapse of basic medical services as vital roads remain blocked and supply chains from coastal ports such as Mocha are heavily obstructed.
Source: www.aljazeera.com