Government-aligned forces clash with Houthis in western Yemen

SANAA, Sep 4: Government-aligned National Resistance Forces said they engaged in heavy clashes with the Houthis in southern Hodeidah province in western Yemen on Thursday, as fighting intensified along the strategic Red Sea coast.

The forces said the clashes erupted after Houthi fighters attempted to advance toward Mount Dabbas in southern Hodeidah. The statement was carried by the forces’ 2 December news agency.

The latest fighting comes amid a broader military escalation in western Yemen involving ground clashes as well as ballistic missile and drone attacks. Fighting has also resumed since early July in several areas, including Marib, Al-Jawf, Al-Dhalea and Taiz.

Yemen had experienced a relative lull since April 2022 following years of conflict between government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized Sanaa and large parts of the country in 2014.

Tensions have increased since late 2023, when the Houthis began attacking Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, linking their actions to the war in Gaza. The renewed fighting has raised concerns that Yemen could again slide into a wider conflict.