ADEN — Yemeni government forces bombed Houthi positions west of the city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen on Monday as fighting continues to escalate in the war-torn country.The media center of the Taiz Military Axis said airstrikes targeted Houthi sites in the Al-Rubaie area west of Taiz.It did not immediately provide details on casualties or damage resulting from the strikes.On Sunday, the Houthi rebels said at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured when the Saudi-led forces struck a shopping area around the central market of Taiz. The group’s Al-Masirah TV channel showed footage of large plumes of smoke and a destroyed warehouse stacked with food in cardboard boxes. In response to the Houthi report, troops loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government confirmed that their air force had struck a Houthi depot and vehicles in the area.Taiz is currently under the control of Yemeni government forces, but it has long been besieged by Houthi fighters and remains one of the main fronts in the country’s civil war. Taiz is located in southwestern Yemen. On Sunday, Yemeni government forces said that they targeted Houthi gatherings and positions in Taiz, Lahij and Al-Dhalea in the country’s southwest.Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.Fighting intensified in September, with the Houthis taking control of several key areas in Al-Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, including the strategic city of Mokha, and reaching Mayyun Island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
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