Yemeni army says 129 Houthis killed in Taiz clashes and airstrikes

Yemen’s army said 129 Houthi fighters were killed and 176 others wounded in clashes and airstrikes over the past two days in Taiz province, Anadolu Agency reported, citing a military statement.

The Taiz Military Axis Command said government forces had continued their offensive for a second consecutive day against Houthi positions in al-Misrakh district, south of Taiz city. The operation was supported by local fighters and residents, the command said, adding that it had caused heavy losses to the group.

Army units also raided a Houthi position on the al-Aqrud front, killing and wounding several fighters, according to the statement.

Warplanes carried out 13 airstrikes on Monday evening, targeting Houthi positions, weapons, military equipment, ammunition depots and gatherings across Taiz province, the command said.

“Some 129 Houthi fighters were killed and 176 others wounded by our forces and airstrikes over the past 48 hours,” the command said. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the army’s claims.

Taiz is strategically important because it connects Yemen’s northern and southern provinces and is a key transportation and supply corridor between the interim capital, Aden, and the country’s central and northern regions. The province also includes the Red Sea port of Mokha, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Since fighting intensified in July, government forces and their allies have announced advances on several fronts, including regaining control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and areas of Dhubab district. The Houthis, meanwhile, have tightened their siege of Taiz city from surrounding highlands to the north, west and east, following advances in parts of the province’s countryside.

Yemen has been in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several other provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

The Houthis control much of northern and western Yemen, while government forces and their allies hold Aden and large parts of the country’s southern and eastern provinces.