Yemen forces repel Houthi push on key Taiz-Aden route as fighting rages

ADEN — Yemeni government forces said on Thursday they had repelled Houthi attacks in the southwestern governorate of Taiz as heavy fighting continued along several fronts.Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, spokesman for the Yemeni government forces, said on Thursday that the Iran-aligned Houthis launched coordinated attacks on Wednesday night in a bid to reach positions on a key road connecting the governorates of Aden, Lahj and Taiz.But government forces repelled the attacks in the Wadi al-Maqatirah area, “killing and wounding dozens” of Houthi fighters, he said.Saudi Arabia intercepted ​six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis on Thursday, thwarting attacks on the southern province of Taif and Yanbu ‌area on the Red Sea, the Saudi-led coalition said.The renewed hostilities come amid mounting regional tensions set off by the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.The Houthis, who seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, are fighting government forces for control of the strategic highlands in the country’s southwest, including the Kahboub Mountains in the Taiz and Lahj governorates. They took control of the port city of Mocha and the Red Sea coast this month.Control of the Kahboub Mountains, which overlook the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait and Mayyun Island in the Red Sea, would allow the Houthis to sever the coast from the remaining government-held south.On Tuesday, government forces said they had thwarted Houthi attacks in the mountains and taken full control of Mount Qarfan, which is located further to the east and overlooks valleys linking southern Taiz with the western coast.The Houthis have kept up pressure on government forces seeking to consolidate their power through a steep winding mountain pass. Known as Hejat al-Abd, the road is a lifeline for forces fighting on behalf of Yemen’s government.The Houthis said on Wednesday that Saudi-led forces had carried out 52 air strikes and missile attacks on the Hodeidah, Taiz, al-Bayda, Marib and Saada governorates, causing deaths and injuries, including among women and children.The Houthis have fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, including a strike on the capital, Riyadh, on Saturday.On Wednesday, Saudi Civil Defence authorities issued alerts warning of potential attacks in Jazan and Najran, two provinces that border Yemen. No further details were given.Aid groups said the humanitarian toll is mounting in Yemen.The World Health Organization said this week that 674 people had been killed and almost 3,000 injured since August 6, including 164 deaths and 516 injuries from September 13 to 18 alone.More than 158,000 people have also been displaced, according to Yemen’s Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps.