Yemeni Army Conducts 181 Operations Against Houthis in 24 Hours
The Yemen conflict has seen renewed escalation as government forces and Houthi rebels exchange attacks across multiple provinces.
Overview of Escalation in the Yemen conflict
The Yemeni army launched 181 operations against the Houthis in a single 24-hour period, killing and injuring dozens of Houthi members according to a military spokesman [2]. Houthis reported that four of their members were killed amid the escalating fighting but provided no details on the circumstances [1]. Clashes in southwestern Taiz province killed three pro-government soldiers, while National Resistance forces claimed their counterattacks left 45 to 55 Houthis dead, wounded or missing [5].
Recent Military Operations
The Yemeni army launched 181 operations against the Houthis in a single 24-hour period, killing and injuring dozens of Houthi members according to a military spokesman [2]. Clashes in southwestern Taiz province killed three pro-government soldiers [5]. National Resistance forces claimed their counterattacks left 45 to 55 Houthis dead, wounded or missing, though the group has not commented on the army's reported operations total [5]. These actions form part of the broader response to Houthi strikes that have targeted both military positions and civilian areas in recent days.
Yemeni army forces conduct operations against Houthi rebels in southwestern Taiz province. — Source: anadolu
Houthi Attacks and Port Disruption
Houthi attacks on Mokha port prompted the facility to halt operations, according to the port director [4]. Recent Houthi strikes killed 58 government troops mainly in Marib province and two civilians in residential areas and displacement camps there [3]. The strikes on Mokha port and other sites have directly disrupted commercial activity while adding to the toll in government-held zones.
Civilian Fear and Displacement Risks
Residents in Mokha described anxiety over renewed war after last week's explosions from Houthi hits on the port [3]. Hodeida native Anwar, a father of two, recalled fleeing earlier Houthi advances and said he does not want lives haunted by constant panic caused by Houthi terror, noting that Mokha used to be a safe city and a haven for many Yemenis [3]. Another Mokha resident, Najem Hammoud al-Wahbani, said everyone lives in fear because every day Houthi missiles and drones fly overhead and shelling can be heard in the distance [3]. Mohammed Ali, displaced from Hodeida province to al-Khokha north of Mokha, was considering moving his family further east to Aden because further fighting could destroy everything including his future and his children's future [3].
Yemeni civilians express fear of renewed all-out war amid escalating army and Houthi clashes. — Source: bangkokpost
Context of the 2022 Truce Breakdown
Yemen's years-long civil conflict killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and drove the country to the brink of famine before a 2022 truce restored relative calm [3]. Last month the Houthi rebels welcomed an Iranian plane landing in the capital Sanaa, setting off a spate of tit-for-tat attacks [3]. They later announced a maritime blockade of the government's backer Saudi Arabia, hitting its tankers in the Red Sea and attacking government forces in Yemen [3]. The government said it had retaliated after deadly attacks that hit military camps in the central Marib province and the Mokha port on the Red Sea, as well as residential areas in Marib home to displaced people [3].
Impact on Marib Province
Marib is divided between the government and the Houthis and has become a flashpoint for attacks [3]. It hosts 60 percent of all internally displaced people in Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration [3]. Recent Houthi strikes killed 58 government troops mainly in Marib province and two civilians in residential areas and displacement camps there [3]. Ali Munif, 46, has been living in a displacement camp on the outskirts of Marib city since his village was overrun by the rebels in 2021 and asked where he would flee if war returns to Marib [3]. A mother of one living near one of the military camps that were hit said the strikes shook the windows and doors like a quake and brought back the fear, anxiety, and despair experienced at the height of war [3].
What to watch next: Further Houthi missile and drone activity over Mokha and continued government operations against rebel positions in Taiz and Marib remain the immediate points of tension following the breakdown of the 2022 truce.
