Heavy Clashes Erupt in Yemen as Pro-Government Forces Advance Near Taiz and Bab al-Mandeb
Heavy clashes have broken out near the strategic southern Yemeni city of Taiz as Houthi fighters and pro-government forces exchange fire amid a broader military campaign. The fighting follows a major counter-offensive launched on October 5 by the internationally recognised government and allied southern factions, including the Southern Giants Brigades, aimed at recapturing territory seized by the Iran-backed group.
By Monday afternoon, pro-government forces stated they had severed the primary supply artery linking the Red Sea port city of Mocha with the vital Bab al-Mandeb strait. The territorial push marks a rare battlefield advancement for anti-Houthi coalitions, following an announcement by Rashid al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, regarding a unified military push against Ansar Allah.
Shifting Alliances and Southern Forces
The ongoing offensive has brought together military units with diverging political objectives, most notably pro-government national troops and groups linked to the Southern Transitional Council. This uneasy alliance follows a high-profile confrontation in January, when Saudi-aligned government forces defeated UAE-backed STC formations in southern Yemen, subsequently centralising anti-Houthi command structures.
Among the foremost combat formations is the Southern Giants Brigades, a powerful Salafi-leaning force formed in Aden during the 2015 conflict. Commanded by Abd al-Rahman Abu Zaraa al-Muharrami, who joined the Presidential Leadership Council in April 2022, the brigades previously spearheaded major advances along Yemen's western coast and into Shabwa and Marib.
While the brigades are actively participating in the national government offensive, their integration into the campaign remains politically complex. Separatist officials maintain that the operation serves to secure the borders of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, with some fighters displaying southern flags around the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Casualties and Regional Escalation
Military sources from both warring sides reported that fighting around the Bab al-Mandeb corridor and western Yemen had resulted in at least 63 deaths over a 24-hour period, including 35 government-aligned personnel and 28 Houthi fighters. Independent verification of battlefield casualties and territorial control remains difficult due to restricted access for journalists.
The ground escalation has been accompanied by widening regional strikes and cross-border attacks. The Saudi-led coalition reported destroying more than 130 Houthi targets in a large-scale operation, while Houthi-affiliated media confirmed airstrikes targeting the Bab al-Mandeb zone and the capital Sanaa, according to L'Orient Today.
Simultaneously, the conflict has extended to infrastructure within Saudi Arabia, where eyewitnesses and diplomatic sources reported a missile explosion at the civilian airport in Riyadh. A hospital source confirmed that at least five individuals were being treated in intensive care units for injuries sustained during the attack, prompting King Khalid International Airport to issue travel advisories, according to L'Orient Today.
Why the Taiz and strait approaches matter
Fighting near Taiz and Bab al-Mandeb links Yemen's internal conflict to a narrow maritime corridor used by international shipping. Yet control of a nearby road or settlement is not equivalent to control of the sea passage itself. Claims of advances should be checked against locations, independent maps and statements from multiple sides, especially when access for journalists is restricted. For civilians, the effects include interrupted supplies, displacement and reduced access to health services. For shipping, the more consequential changes are verified threats to vessels and insurers' assessments of route risk. A battlefield update should distinguish territorial claims, confirmed casualties and any independent ceasefire or humanitarian negotiations.