Yemeni forces recapture strategic positions in Taiz, strike Houthi fortifications

Yemeni forces announced on Monday that they had recaptured positions previously held by Houthi militias in the south and west of Taiz province, coinciding with three airstrikes by the armed forces targeting Houthi sites and fortifications on the Al-Ahkum front in the south of the province.

These developments followed intense direct clashes between Yemeni fighters and Houthi elements in the highlands and hills of Taiz in recent hours, marking the latest escalation on the province's frontlines.

A Yemeni military source said on Sunday that government forces had regained control of key mountain positions from the Houthis in Taiz, noting that fighting was concentrated in areas west of the province. The source told the German Press Agency that "heavy fighting broke out between the armed forces and Houthi militia on Jabal Naaman and other sites west of Taiz."

The source added that "government forces managed in these battles to retake the strategic Jabal Naaman in Jabal Habashi district, as well as reclaim some positions on the Al-Kadha front in Al-Ma'afer district, western Taiz."

Jabal Naaman holds strategic importance due to its location between the districts of Jabal Habashi, Al-Ma'afer, and Maqbanah, overlooking several vital areas and roads in western rural Taiz, and connecting the province to coastal routes toward Bab Al-Mandab.

Meanwhile, the Kahboub front, located between Lahij and Taiz provinces and overlooking the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, continues to witness sporadic heavy clashes, with neither side achieving a breakthrough or strategic shift in the area. The Houthis have previously deployed significant forces toward Kahboub, as control of the area would allow fire control over key parts of the international maritime strait.

Most areas of the Kahboub front remain under government control, despite repeated Houthi attacks aimed at seizing the area, expanding their influence over Bab Al-Mandab, and pushing toward Lahij in southern Yemen.

These developments come amid escalating confrontations between government forces and the Houthis since early September in the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Lahij, and other parts of Yemen. According to military sources, the clashes have enabled Houthi fighters to seize several districts along the western coast, including the strategic city of Mokha and reaching Mayun Island, which overlooks the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.