Yemen : Over 200 Houthi Fighters Killed in Fierce Battles in Taiz

Sana’a – More than 200 fighters from the Houthi movement were killed over the past 48 hours, most of them in Taiz province, amid intense clashes and drone strikes, military sources in the Yemeni capital said Sunday. 

The losses mark one of the heaviest setbacks for the group since the latest escalation in the country.

According to the sources, many of the dead belonged to the so‑called “al‑Sammad Brigade,” with large numbers of bodies transferred to hospitals in Sana’a in recent days. 

The Houthis have reportedly deployed reinforcements to the al‑Barh front west of Taiz, including elite units and special forces, in an effort to compensate for the losses and resume their offensive.

On Saturday, a list of 64 Houthi officers killed across multiple fronts during the ongoing confrontations with the Yemeni army.

In a sign of the group’s urgent need for manpower, sources in Sana’a said the Houthis have begun releasing hundreds of prisoners in exchange for joining the fighting. 

Around 850 detainees were freed from prisons in Saada, Hajjah, and Sana’a, including individuals accused of criminal and drug‑related offenses. Preparations are underway to release another 1,400 prisoners in Dhamar province.

The sources added that those released signed pledges to join the front lines in return for dropped charges or settlements of their cases. Some were offered formal recruitment and financial support, while debts of several impoverished inmates were paid off to secure their enlistment.

The developments underscore the scale of the Houthis’ battlefield losses and the growing strain on their recruitment efforts as fighting intensifies across Yemen.