More than 60 people, including civilians, have been killed in renewed fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces and Houthi rebels as clashes intensify across Taiz province and parts of the country’s western coast.
Government troops have been engaged in heavy battles with the Iran-backed Houthis in several areas, with some of the fiercest fighting reported in Taiz and Hodeidah provinces, as well as along the strategic Red Sea coastline.
According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, Yemeni government forces announced they had recaptured the district of Hays in southern Hodeidah province.
The district is considered strategically important because it links the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, and Ibb, making it a key route for military movements and supply lines.
The escalation marks one of the most significant flare-ups in recent months, following a series of clashes that began last week and involved both ground combat and airstrikes.
Yemeni officials said government forces have made gains on multiple fronts while attempting to push Houthi fighters from contested areas.
Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said the country’s armed forces were capable of restoring full government control across Yemen.
He warned the Houthis that they would “face the consequences” of their actions and declared that Taiz would not become a “gateway” for those supporting the group, in an apparent reference to Iran.
Al-Alimi further argued that what he described as the Houthis’ “miscalculations” would ultimately lead to the group’s “complete destruction,” signaling the government’s determination to continue military operations against the rebels.
Meanwhile, Fayad al-Numan, deputy secretary of Yemen’s Information Ministry, said government forces had captured dozens of Houthi fighters during fighting in the nearby al-Jarahi district.
He described the operation as part of broader efforts to weaken the group’s presence in western Yemen.
The humanitarian impact of the fighting is also growing rapidly. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that nearly 1,800 families were displaced within just two days as a result of the renewed clashes.
The displacement adds to an already severe humanitarian crisis in a country where millions of people depend on aid and basic services for survival.
The latest violence highlights the continuing fragility of Yemen’s security situation despite years of international efforts to end the conflict.
The war, which began after the Houthis seized large parts of the country in 2014, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies, leaving millions vulnerable to hunger, disease, and displacement.
The renewed clashes also come amid heightened regional tensions around the Red Sea, where the Houthis have expanded their military activities in recent years, raising concerns about the security of international shipping routes and the potential for a wider regional confrontation.