Over 27 Houthis killed, 19 injured in Taiz strikes over 3 days: Yemen’s gov’t-aligned forces

Mohammed Samea, Rania Abushamala and Sahin Demir

At least 27 Houthi fighters were killed and 19 others injured in fighting on the Al-Barh front in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province over the past three days, government-aligned forces said Friday, as government troops reported repelling a fresh Houthi assault on the same front.

“More than 27 members of the Houthi militia were killed in National Resistance strikes on the Al-Barh front in western Taiz province during the past three days,” the forces’ affiliated 2 December news agency reported.

The National Resistance Forces are led by Tareq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council.

The strikes also injured 19 Houthi fighters, the agency said.

Several Houthi military vehicles were set ablaze or disabled in the attacks, it added, without specifying the number.

Later Friday, Yemen TV, the government’s official broadcaster, quoted an unidentified military source as saying government forces had repelled a Houthi attack on their positions on the Al-Barh front following what it described as fierce clashes.

The source said the Houthis deployed large numbers of fighters backed by artillery, mortar fire and drones, but government troops detected their movements and forced them to retreat. It said the assault appeared aimed at compensating for recent Houthi losses on the western fronts.

The same source accused the Houthis of shelling a mosque and school in the Moza district, causing no casualties. Clashes were also reported on the Haifan front in Taiz province.

Separately, the National Resistance Forces said the Houthis launched 36 ballistic missiles and 42 drones at areas along Yemen’s western coast, including the strategic Port of Mocha and civilian service facilities.

The forces said they intercepted 11 projectiles before they reached their targets, without specifying when the attacks took place.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group.

On Thursday, government-run Saba TV said the Houthis had held funerals for 57 fighters over 10 days. It did not provide details about the locations or circumstances of their deaths.

Yemen has witnessed a relative lull since April 2022 in a war that began nearly 12 years ago between government forces and the Houthis, who have controlled the capital, Sanaa, and other cities and provinces since September 2014.

Fighting has resumed in several provinces in recent weeks, however, including Marib, Al-Jawf, Al-Dhalea and Taiz, as the country continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian and economic crises.

A Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government supports government forces, while Iran is accused of backing the Houthis. The Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in July.