More than 60 killed in Yemen as fighting between government and Houthi forces intensifies
Clashes between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on Yemen's western coast left more than 60 people dead on Saturday, including civilians. The fighting is among the deadliest in years following the collapse of the 2022 ceasefire in July.
Several hours of combat in south-west Yemen on Saturday killed 26 government troops and 31 Houthi fighters, according to medical and military sources cited by AFP. Separately, a missile strike hit a bus in the city of Taiz, killing six civilians and wounding seven more.
These casualties add to a bloody run of clashes in recent days, as Houthi forces press an offensive in western Taiz and southern Hodeidah along the Red Sea coast. AFP tallied 129 deaths in fighting between rebels and government troops on Friday alone.
The current violence ranks among the deadliest in years, coming after the 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July. That truce unravelled after an Iranian plane attempted to land in Houthi-held Sana'a, prompting the Yemeni government to strike the airport.
Battle for Bab al-Mandeb
The Houthis are trying to push back government forces to seize hills overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait, aiming to advance on coastal port cities. They have already captured territory in western Taiz, including the al-Khazan and al-Makahna hills, though government forces reclaimed both areas on Friday.
A government military officer in Taiz said the coming hours would be decisive, noting that Houthi fighters had taken up positions near the city the day before. Reinforcements have since arrived from Aden to try to halt the rebel advance.
Bab al-Mandeb is a critical maritime chokepoint for vessels bound for the Suez canal, with roughly 10% of global maritime trade passing through it. Saudi Arabia has been routing oil exports through the strait for months following the start of the US-Iran war. Any disruption to shipping there would add further pressure to global goods prices, already elevated since the near-total closure of the strait of Hormuz in March 2026.
Yemen has been at war since 2014, when Houthi forces seized the capital Sana'a and ousted the government, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene militarily. At least 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict, with hundreds of thousands more dying from related causes such as hunger and disease. The UN estimates about 4.5 million people have been displaced and more than 18.2 million are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
