Yemen clashes kill more than 180 as offensive widens
Some of Yemen’s deadliest ground fighting in years has spread across the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah, displacing families and raising new concern over the nearby Bab al-Mandab shipping route.
More than 180 people were reported killed across two days of fighting as Houthi forces pressed an offensive against troops aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The Guardian, citing an AFP tally, reported that 129 people were killed on Friday. A further 26 government soldiers and 31 Houthi fighters were killed during several hours of combat on Saturday, according to military and medical sources quoted by AFP.
Those battlefield figures could not be independently verified. The identities and precise locations of all the dead also remain uncertain.
Civilians killed and families displaced
Six civilians travelling by bus in Taiz were killed in a missile strike on Saturday and seven were injured, according to the AFP-sourced account. Yemen’s state news agency separately said Houthi shelling killed four civilians and injured nine on the Taiz–Aden road. It was not immediately clear whether the reports referred to the same incident.
Al Jazeera, also citing AFP and local reporting, said nearly 1,800 families had been displaced in two days, attributing that figure to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Independent access to active front lines remains limited.
The fighting follows the collapse in July of the relative calm associated with the 2022 truce. Both sides have announced territorial gains, but several battlefield claims remain unverified.
Why the west coast matters
Government forces said they had retaken Hais district, south of Hodeidah, and strategic hills west of Taiz. Houthi forces were reported to have captured other areas as they pushed towards high ground overlooking Bab al-Mandab.
The narrow strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for vessels travelling between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal. Renewed instability near the waterway could deepen shipping and insurance risks already elevated by the wider regional conflict and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemen’s humanitarian position was severe before this escalation. The UN humanitarian office says the country entered 2026 amid acute needs, insecurity and major funding constraints. Fresh displacement adds pressure to communities where access to food, shelter and health services is already fragile.
Image: Neutral, non-documentary editorial illustration created for Umma Media. It does not depict a specific battle, location or photographed event.
Reporting and verification: The Guardian and AFP reporting, Al Jazeera and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs linked directly to the principal primary and independent reports.
