Clashes intensify in Taiz and Marib as coalition issues warning

Clashes have intensified on the Taiz and Marib fronts as government forces ramp up operations to reclaim positions held by Houthi militias. The 'Dawn of Yemen' operation entered a more heated phase on Tuesday, amid military estimates of heavy casualties among the Houthis.

Yemeni government troops are working to consolidate recent territorial gains and secure strategic areas, particularly around Bab Al-Mandab and the highlands linking Taiz and Lahj.

Meanwhile, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen released footage of operations tracking and targeting smuggled weapons and maritime vessels involved in arms trafficking to Yemen’s coasts for the benefit of the Houthi militia, facilitated by organized crime groups. The coalition warned the Houthis against using traditional maritime vessels to smuggle weapons and missiles by sea.

The coalition stated that such activities pose a direct threat to the security of Yemen as well as regional and international stability, urging vessel owners not to cooperate with the militia in any smuggling operations toward Yemeni shores.

Coalition warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting Houthi positions, reinforcements, and fortifications across several areas in Taiz province, including Taiz airport, Al-Sittin, Al-Rubaie, Al-Dhabab, Al-Ma’afir, and Al-Misrakh.

In Ibb province, Houthi militias launched two missiles from residential areas in Al-Sayani district, south of the province, toward Taiz. Coalition airstrikes destroyed the missile launch platform in the district and also struck Al-Hamzah camp in Al-Sabra district, southeast of Ibb, which the Houthis use to launch ballistic missiles.

In Lahj province, the Southern Giants Brigades announced they had repelled a major Houthi assault on the Kahboub front with coalition air support, confirming that hundreds of Houthi fighters were killed or wounded, military vehicles destroyed, and the militia forced to retreat.

Meanwhile, Shabwa Governor Awad bin Al-Wazir announced that the death toll from the recent Houthi attack on a training camp had risen to 58, with more than 200 wounded, reflecting the scale of losses from the assault.

According to the governor, speaking to Al Arabiya, the attack on the training camp involved three missiles launched by the Houthis from the Marib mountains. Bin Al-Wazir also accused Al-Qaeda cells in the province of collaborating with the Houthis, noting that authorities had arrested several members and possessed evidence of such cooperation in Shabwa and other areas.