An Iran-backed Houthi missile attack on Saturday targeted a civilian gathering along a strategic road south of Taiz city, killing at least four people and injuring nine others, according to Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency and local medical sources. The strike occurred amid escalating combat across multiple fronts in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates.
Yemeni government forces reported recent territorial gains, with the 4th Hazm Brigade capturing several strategic positions including al-Wathra, Saeed Taha, Dhiban, al-Khadira, and al-Najdain on the Haifan front south of Taiz. Military officials stated these heights overlook the al-Khazja market and disrupt Houthi supply routes heading toward southern Taiz and northwestern Lahj governorates. Meanwhile, the Houthis have made counteradvances, taking control of a strategic military base on a mountain in western Taiz that provides visibility across the surrounding area. Military experts indicated the Houthis aim to control the Red Sea coastline and push toward the port city of al-Makha and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, requiring territorial gains across southern Hodeidah and western Taiz. The rebel group previously held al-Makha before being driven out in 2017 by government forces and Saudi-led coalition partners, and declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July.
The intensified fighting has created a humanitarian emergency, with nearly 1,800 families displaced within 48 hours. Heavy shelling emptied displacement camps in the Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts, though most families relocated to safer locations within the same areas. Some families remain trapped on front lines and require safe passage, while those who escaped arrived with minimal food, shelter, or supplies. Aid organizations face severe obstacles including severed phone and internet networks across combat zones and critically depleted emergency stockpiles, limiting their capacity to assist displaced populations.
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