Over 190 Dead in Two Days as Yemen Government Forces and Houthi Rebels Clash

AFP reported on the 5th (local time) that more than 60 people have been killed as Yemen's government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, clashed with the pro-Iran Houthi rebels.

According to multiple sources, a battle that lasted for several hours in southwestern Yemen today resulted in the deaths of 26 government soldiers and 31 Houthi fighters.

In addition, six civilians were killed when a bus was hit by a missile in Taiz, a city controlled by government forces.

Government officials blamed the Houthi rebels for the attack, according to AFP.

The Houthi rebels have recently seized areas near Taiz, and by blocking the government-held port city of Mocha, they are poised to advance into the Bab el-Mandeb Strait region, a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

However, government forces stated that reinforcements departing from Aden are scheduled to arrive.

Additionally, a military official reported that Saudi Arabia recently carried out three airstrikes on the Taiz area where Houthi forces are located.

AFP previously tallied 129 deaths from intense clashes between the two sides the day before, meaning nearly 200 people have died over the span of two days.

The rebels' latest large-scale military action is an extension of the airstrike on Sanaa International Airport that occurred last July amid the height of the Iran war.

At the time, Yemen's government forces claimed they carried out the airstrike to prevent Iranian aircraft from landing.

However, the Houthi rebels pointed the finger at Saudi Arabia as the mastermind and abruptly declared an end to the ceasefire, subsequently initiating a maritime blockade by attacking Saudi-linked vessels near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Amid ongoing war clouds across the Middle East, as the Houthi rebels concentrate their military might on a critical bottleneck of international logistics, the previously lull-ridden civil war in Yemen is once again hurtling toward an uncontrollable all-out conflict.

Concerns are also growing over the paralysis of international maritime logistics and disruptions to global supply chains, exposed as they are to the rebels' blatant threats.

(Photo: Capture from Houthi rebel Telegram channel, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.