20/10/2026
Share:
20/10/2026
Share:
TAIZ, Oct 20: Yemen’s army said 129 Houthi fighters were killed and another 176 wounded in clashes and airstrikes over the past 48 hours in the southwestern province of Taiz, as government forces continued their offensive against the Iran-backed group.
In a statement late Monday, the army’s Taiz Military Axis Command said government forces had pressed ahead with operations against Houthi positions in the al-Misrakh district, south of Taiz city, for a second consecutive day.
The offensive, supported by local fighters and residents, inflicted heavy losses on the Houthis, the command said.
Army units also raided a Houthi position on the al-Aqrud front, killing and wounding several fighters, according to the statement.
The command said warplanes carried out 13 airstrikes on Monday evening, targeting Houthi positions, weapons, military equipment, ammunition depots and gatherings across Taiz province.
“Some 129 Houthi fighters were killed and 176 others wounded by our forces and airstrikes over the past 48 hours,” the command said.
The casualty figures could not be independently verified, and the Houthis had not immediately commented on the army’s claims.
Strategic province sees intensified fighting
Taiz is strategically important because it links Yemen’s northern and southern provinces and serves as a major transportation and supply corridor between Aden, the interim capital, and the country’s central and northern regions.
The province also includes the Red Sea port of Mokha, near the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Since fighting intensified in July, government forces and their allies have reported advances on several fronts, including the recapture of areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and parts of the Dhubab district.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have tightened their siege of Taiz city from surrounding highlands to the north, west and east, following advances in parts of the province’s countryside.
Yemen’s conflict continues
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several other provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.
The Houthis control much of northern and western Yemen, while government forces and their allies hold Aden and large parts of the country’s southern and eastern provinces.
