Houthi rebels have launched a major military offensive on Yemen's western coast, triggering some of the deadliest fighting the country has seen in years. In the southwest, nearly 180 fighters were killed over a period of three days as the Iran-backed militia clashed with Saudi-backed government forces.
Recent fighting on Saturday left 26 government troops and 31 Houthi fighters dead. A missile strike in the city of Taiz also killed six civilians and injured seven others who were traveling by bus.
The offensive is focused on securing high ground and gaining control of a port city near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical choke point for global trade. By pushing forward in the southwest, the Houthi forces are attempting to solidify their control of the entry to the Red Sea.
This surge in violence follows the Houthis' decision to abandon a shaky truce with the Saudi-backed government-in-exile in July. The outbreak of violence revives the specter of the conflict that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, occurring four years after the 2022 truce.