Intense clashes erupt in Yemen's southwest as government and Houthi forces trade heavy losses
Fighting between Yemeni government troops and Houthi rebels intensified in the southwest, with dozens killed and wounded on both sides.
Heavy combat persisted in southwestern Yemen as government troops and Houthi rebels vied for control of Lahj province along the Gulf of Aden. Government sources said the clashes killed roughly 50 Houthi fighters and 20 soldiers, with dozens of militia members wounded. Within 24 hours, officials claimed to have launched more than 350 operations against the Iran-aligned rebels.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree asserted that Saudi fighter jets bombed over 30 targets in Yemen, focusing on Taiz, Saada and Hudaydah provinces. Saudi Arabia has not responded to these accusations, but its civil defence agency issued a warning for the southern Najran province following suspected attacks. The fighting, which also affects the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea coast, has displaced over 180,000 people across Yemen, according to the World Health Organisation.
Why it matters
The surge in fighting threatens regional stability and deepens the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
How this story developed
- Aug 28 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey launch Mecca Defence Alliance, secretariat set in Riyadh
- Sep 21 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has authorized British aircraft to provide defensive air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
- Sep 21 Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he agreed to Saudi Arabia's request for defensive air-to-air refuelling while travelling to New York for a United Nations General Assembly meeting.
- Sep 22 Burnham announced the decision while traveling to the UN General Assembly.
- Sep 22 The United States declined to conduct direct kinetic strikes against the Houthis.
- Sep 22 UN agencies warned that displacement could rise to over 230,000 if the fighting continues.
- Sep 24 The Houthis seized the port city of Mocha and nearby Bab al‑Mandab positions.
- Sep 25 Foreign minister Hakan Fidan announced willingness to meet the kingdom’s technical military needs.
- Sep 25 The UK moved from earlier talks to a formal agreement to provide the Voyager tanker.
- Sep 25 Trump publicly voiced support for Saudi self‑reliance against Houthi attacks.
- Sep 26 UN Security Council issued a condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Sep 27 Government forces launched intensified air and ground attacks in Taiz province.
- Sep 27 France announced a military mission to Saudi Arabia.
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