Yemeni Forces Kill 18 Houthis in Taiz Counteroffensive

The Government of Yemen engaged in heavy fighting with Houthi rebels in southwestern Taiz province on Thursday, resulting in at least 25 deaths. The clashes began at dawn when Houthi fighters launched a large-scale assault on government positions in the villages of Maqbanah and Al-Kadha. Government forces responded with a counteroffensive in the Maqbanah Mountains, utilizing concentrated artillery fire and air defenses to kill more than 18 Houthi militants and capture several others.

Casualty reports indicate 15 government soldiers and 10 Houthi members died during the engagement. Yemeni air defenses shot down three Houthi drones and destroyed several rebel vehicles. The fighting has triggered a new wave of civilian displacement in the region.

Simultaneously, the Houthis fired 14 ballistic missiles and launched drone attacks targeting districts along the western coasts of Taiz and Hodeidah provinces. This escalation follows a period of relative calm since April 2022, though clashes have recently resumed in Marib, Al-Jawf, and Al-Dhalea. In separate incidents on Sunday and Monday, government naval forces intercepted four explosive-laden Houthi boats attempting to approach the strategic Hanish and Zuqar Islands near international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.