25 killed in heavy fighting between gov’t forces, Houthis in Yemen

Aden (Yemen): At least 25 people were killed and several others wounded on Thursday as heavy fighting between Yemen’s government forces and the Houthis raged in southwestern Taiz province, a government military official told Xinhua.

Fifteen government soldiers and 10 Houthi members were killed in the clashes, which erupted at dawn after Houthi fighters launched a large-scale assault on government positions in the villages of Maqbanah and Al-Kadha, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The clashes involved artillery, mortars, and other heavy weapons, according to the official.

The Houthis briefly seized several positions before government reinforcements mounted a counterattack and recaptured some ground, the official said.

Residents told Xinhua that the escalation had triggered a new wave of displacement, as families fled toward safer areas amid intensified Houthi artillery shelling, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ground fighting coincided with missile and drone attacks across western Yemen. Government forces reported on Thursday that the Houthis fired 14 ballistic missiles and launched drone attacks at areas along the western coasts of Taiz and neighbouring Hodeidah province over the past several hours, while air defences shot down several drones.

The Houthis have yet to comment on the fighting or the government’s statements.

On Monday, Yemeni government forces said they had intercepted four explosive-laden boats operated by the Houthi group as they attempted to approach government-held islands near international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

The state-run Saba news agency, citing a military source, reported that the boats attempted to approach the strategic Hanish Islands and Zuqar Island before being intercepted by government naval forces.

The source said further movements of Houthi boats were detected at different times on Sunday and Monday as they attempted to approach the islands, which overlook key international shipping routes in the southern Red Sea.

Fighting between government forces and the Houthis has intensified across several fronts in recent weeks. The government forces stepped up drone and artillery strikes on Houthi positions, while the group launched missile and drone attacks on government-held areas in Marib and along the western Red Sea coast.

IANS