Armed forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government have made territorial gains against Houthi positions in Taiz province in the southwestern part of the country. According to reporting from the region, government forces successfully repelled a Houthi offensive on Sunday and advanced further westward, operations supported by airstrikes targeting Houthi concentrations along the coastal areas of Mocha and Dhubab.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, responded by announcing strikes against targets within Saudi Arabia. The group stated it deployed dozens of ballistic missiles and unmanned aircraft directed at military installations in Saudi Arabia, specifically citing King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait and its surrounding facilities. According to the Houthi statement, the targeted sites included aircraft storage facilities, detection systems, airfield infrastructure, and ammunition storage. Officials said the strikes were conducted in retaliation for recent Saudi military operations involving hundreds of airstrikes across Yemen.
Meanwhile, Saudi civil defence authorities issued warnings for residents near Abha and the Khamis Mushait area, though these alerts were subsequently withdrawn. No immediate response came from Saudi authorities regarding the Houthi claims. The escalation represents a significant uptick in violence following a period of relative calm since 2022, when a UN-mediated agreement had reduced major combat operations.
Recent clashes have expanded beyond Yemen’s borders, with the Houthis conducting aerial operations targeting southern Saudi Arabia and critical infrastructure. The broader conflict intensified after July, when the Houthis announced maritime restrictions on Saudi shipping and began attacking vessels in the Red Sea. Additional reporting indicated Houthi forces have captured strategic islands in the Red Sea near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a waterway of significant international commercial importance.
Humanitarian agencies documented substantial population displacement from ongoing hostilities. The International Organization for Migration reported approximately 86,000 individuals displaced in recent weeks, with over 2,000 persons having crossed into neighboring Djibouti seeking refuge from the conflict.
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