Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces have made significant military gains against the Houthis in Hodeidah and Taiz provinces following weeks of escalated fighting.
The latest clashes, which have raised fears of a return to full-scale war, saw intense fighting on Saturday that left dozens dead and displaced about 1,800 families, reports Al Jazeera.
On Saturday, government forces recaptured the strategically located Hais district in Hodeidah province, situated at the crucial junction of Hodeidah, Taiz, and Ibb provinces.
According to an unidentified military source cited by the government-controlled SABA news agency, the military also regained territories around the al-Barh junction in western Taiz, advancing towards Houthi positions. The Houthis have yet to comment on these developments.
The fighting has exacted a heavy toll, with clashes in Taiz on Saturday killing more than 60 people, including civilians, according to reports from AFP news agency.
AFP’s military sources reported that 26 government soldiers were killed in several hours of intense fighting on Saturday alone. Meanwhile, Fayad al-Numan, a Yemeni Information Ministry official, stated that government troops had captured dozens of Houthi fighters during clashes in the al-Jarahi district of southern Hodeidah.
The escalation began in earnest on Thursday, when Houthi forces launched a major offensive along the front lines in western Taiz and southern Hodeidah. The Iran-aligned rebels used ballistic missiles, drones, and artillery as their ground forces attempted to push into government-held territories along the Red Sea coast.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that about 1,800 families were displaced over two days as a result of the renewed hostilities in Taiz.
These developments follow a period of relative calm that had largely persisted since a UN-brokered truce in April 2022, which temporarily halted the full-scale conflict that began in 2014 when the Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
Although the government forces have made recent advances, the Houthis still control Sanaa and several other key cities. The rebels have also launched counteroffensives near the government-held port of al-Makha (Mocha) and are attempting to advance towards areas bordering the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea.
The ongoing conflict is increasingly linked to a wider regional crisis. The Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in July, targeting Saudi ships and territory, which prompted Riyadh, the primary backer of the Yemeni government, to conduct air strikes on Houthi-held areas.
The security of the Bab al-Mandeb strait has become critical after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, a move that has sparked a global energy crisis and economic instability.
The Bab al-Mandeb strait serves as a vital transit route for Saudi oil and is one of only two exit-entry points to the Red Sea, alongside the Suez Canal. In response, Saudi Arabia announced a mission in July to form an international alliance to secure the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
Yemen’s government forces previously re-established control over major southern and eastern territories following a Saudi-backed counteroffensive and the subsequent dissolution of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in January, aiming to unify the country under a single administration.
Expressing confidence in the military’s capabilities, Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi stated that the armed forces are capable of restoring control over the entire country, warning that Houthi “miscalculations” would lead to their “complete collapse.”
However, military analysts note that the battlefield remains highly contested, and the latest government gains do not yet represent a decisive shift in the long-running war.
