Arabic version: مكاسب الحكومة اليمنية تواجه ضغطاً مضاداً من الحوثيين

According to Al Jazeera, Yemen’s internationally recognised government says it has recaptured strategically located territory in Hodeidah province and advanced in western Taiz after fighting escalated in recent weeks. The developments have raised fears of a return to full-scale war, though they do not yet represent a decisive shift in the long-running conflict.

The government-controlled SABA news agency reported that the military took control of Hais district in Hodeidah, citing an unidentified military source. Hais lies at the junction of Hodeidah, Taiz and Ibb provinces. The source also said government forces regained areas around the al-Barh junction in western Taiz and advanced towards Houthi positions. A Yemeni Information Ministry official said dozens of Houthi fighters were captured in al-Jarahi district in southern Hodeidah.

Clashes in Taiz killed more than 60 people, including civilians, on Saturday, AFP reported. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said about 1,800 families had been displaced over the previous two days as fighting intensified in Taiz. AFP military sources said 26 government soldiers were killed during several hours of fighting on Saturday.

The Houthis still control the capital, Sanaa, and several other cities. They had recently advanced around Taiz and have sought to threaten the government-held port of al-Makha and reach areas bordering the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the Yemeni government, has carried out air strikes against positions recently captured by the Houthis. The latest escalation follows relative calm that largely held after a UN-brokered truce in April 2022.