Newsletters
More than 140 combatants were killed in fighting between Yemeni government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in southwestern Yemen between midday Saturday and early Sunday morning, according to military sources from both sides.
Two military officials with the Saudi-backed government told AFP that 84 of their troops were killed in the period, most of them in missile attacks. Separately, four Houthi military sources said 57 rebel fighters were killed over the same stretch of time.
The toll marks the deadliest single-day period of fighting in Yemen since a 2022 ceasefire between the two sides broke down in July, underscoring how quickly the conflict has escalated in recent days.
The latest violence stems from a Houthi offensive launched Thursday aimed at severing the government-held port city of Mokha, which has come under fire for weeks, and advancing toward territory bordering the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern mouth of the Red Sea.
According to an AFP tally drawn from military and medical sources on both sides, more than 300 combatants and some civilians have been killed since the offensive began Thursday.
One military official with Yemen's internationally recognized government, based in Aden, said the intensity of fighting eased in the early hours of Sunday. The official said government forces were able to establish positions for themselves north of Hays after advancing in the area, referring to a frontline district less than 30 kilometers inland from the Red Sea coast.
At the same time, the official said, Houthi fighters had advanced west of Taiz, south of Hays, continuing their push toward the Bab al-Mandab.
The Bab al-Mandab strait, one of the world's key maritime chokepoints, has taken on added significance as a transit route for oil from Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter, after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
The current round of fighting follows the collapse in July of a fragile truce between the Houthis and Yemen's government, which fell apart after the rebels welcomed an Iranian plane into the capital, Sanaa, triggering a new wave of attacks.
The clashes between the Houthis and government forces backed by Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, represent the emergence of a new front in the broader Middle East conflict that began in late February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and have begun striking Saudi vessels and territory.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
