Dozens of people have been killed in renewed fighting between Houthi forces and Yemeni government troops backed by Saudi Arabia, as the conflict intensifies across western Yemen.
The Iran-aligned Houthis now control Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, further strengthening their position around the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, a major shipping route connecting Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal.
Dozens killed in fighting
Houthi sources said 40 of their fighters were killed over the past 24 hours in Saudi air strikes and clashes with Yemeni government forces.
A telecommunications tower was also bombed in Taiz province, killing four people, including three children, according to the Houthis.
Government forces report 23 dead
A military official from Yemen’s internationally recognised government said 23 soldiers were killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks in the provinces of Taiz and Lahj.
The casualties came amid continuing exchanges of fire between Houthi forces and troops aligned with the government.
Drone debris kills man in Saudi Arabia
The violence also spilled into Saudi Arabia, where civil defence authorities said a Yemeni man was killed after debris fell during the interception of a Houthi drone targeting the kingdom.
Two other people, a Saudi woman and a Pakistani national, were injured in Taif province.
Strategic Red Sea position
The Houthis’ control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline gives the group an increasingly significant position around the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The waterway is strategically important to international shipping, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and forming part of the maritime route between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
The latest fighting comes amid heightened regional tensions and growing concern over security along key international shipping routes.
Source: CNA
