At least 169 people have reportedly been killed in Yemen over the past three days as Iran-aligned Houthi forces battle Saudi-backed government troops for control of strategic highlands overlooking the Red Sea, while thousands of civilians flee the fighting.
Houthi military officials said at least 118 people had been killed in clashes and Saudi air and artillery strikes across Taiz, Al Jawf, Marib and Saada provinces since Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse.
Yemeni government sources, meanwhile, said at least 36 people had been killed on their side of the conflict.
The Houthis also accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on the port city of Mocha on Tuesday that allegedly killed six civilians, including two children. They further claimed a Saudi strike on a prison in Al Jawf killed nine detainees.
Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its fight against the Houthis. Riyadh issued an alert in southern areas on Tuesday following Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital, Riyadh, over the weekend — reportedly the first such attacks on the city in years.
The latest fighting follows a major Houthi offensive launched three weeks ago, during which the group seized large parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline from government-aligned forces.
The Houthis also captured Mocha and other strategic locations, giving them greater control around the Bab Al Mandab Strait, a crucial shipping route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The offensive has added another front to the wider Middle East conflict and raised concerns over global energy supplies and shipping routes already disrupted by the war involving Iran.
Fighting has recently centred on the strategic Kahboub Mountains near the Red Sea coast. The Houthis are seeking to consolidate their territorial gains, while government forces are attempting to prevent them from taking control of the mountain range.
Control of the mountains would provide a strategic vantage point over the Red Sea coast and could further restrict access between the government’s stronghold in Aden and western Yemen.
Houthi forces have advanced on several fronts, including areas around Taiz and the coastal region of Ras Al Ara. Houthi-linked media reported further gains, while government media said its forces had repelled the attacks.
The escalation has deepened Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis. Around 22 million people require humanitarian assistance, while millions have been displaced by years of conflict.
The United Nations has separately reported that nearly 700 people have been killed and more than 130,000 displaced since the latest Houthi campaign began.
Saudi Arabia has launched hundreds of strikes against Houthi positions in recent days in an effort to halt the advance.
US President Donald Trump has reportedly considered military action against the Houthis but has so far refrained from joining the latest Saudi campaign. The United Kingdom, meanwhile, has agreed to provide limited defensive air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi aircraft following a request from Riyadh.
The G7 has also called on Iran to stop arming and supporting the Houthis, while urging the group to end military operations and attacks against civilian shipping and return to the political process.
The conflict is also threatening vital energy routes. Saudi Arabia has been forced to rely more heavily on alternative export routes after disruptions around both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandab.
Meanwhile, international leaders have called for an end to the fighting and a return to diplomatic efforts, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressing the need for safe passage through both strategic waterways and a political settlement to the Yemen conflict.
