October 5, 2026
The city of Taiz and its surroundings are witnessing the most fierce battles since the outbreak of the conflict 12 years ago, coinciding with a large-scale military escalation launched by the Houthis to control the city, which is under the control of the Yemeni government.
In this context, Colonel Abdul Basit Al-Bahr, an officer in the Yemeni army, suggested that the Houthi offensive operations were being managed by high-ranking military leaders from the group, or perhaps under the supervision of leaders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard or Hezbollah, noting that the intensity of fire and the size of the deployment of forces suggest this, despite the report being devoid of material evidence proving this possibility.
Colonel Al-Bahr described Saturday’s battles as exceptional in their ferocity, explaining that the Houthis adopted a “scorched earth” policy through intense bombardment with missiles, artillery and tanks, and sent in successive waves of fighters from Saturday morning until noon. He stressed that government forces were able to repel the attacks on most fronts by the afternoon, while clashes continued on other fronts, and the confrontations over the past three days resulted in the killing of dozens of fighters from both sides.
The most violent confrontations were concentrated in the vicinity of Jabal Han, Hathran, and other locations on the western outskirts of the city of Taiz, in addition to the Al-Kadha and Jabal Habashi areas, west of the governorate. These developments come about a month after the Houthis launched their largest military operation in years, during which they took control of the city of Mokha, five other districts, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, before their progress towards the mountain range in Lahj Governorate overlooking the strait faltered.
In field military reactions, the Yemeni army spokesman, Colonel Majid Al-Nuzaili, announced the implementation of strikes targeting vital military sites in the capital, Sanaa, which is under the control of the Houthis. This came in conjunction with residents reporting the sound of huge explosions, and video clips circulating on social media platforms showing dense plumes of smoke rising from mountainous areas in Sanaa.
