Full Breakdown
Deadliest Yemen Fighting Since 2022 Ceasefire Collapse
9/7/2026, 8:15:13 AM
Intensified Fighting in Southwest Yemen
Heavy combat erupted between Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Taiz governorate’s Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts. The clash centered on a gateway to the Red Sea, with the Houthis launching an offensive aimed at cutting the road linking Taiz to the port city of Mokha and advancing toward the Bab Al-Mandab strait. Government troops reported that the Houthis succeeded in severing that road on Saturday evening.
Casualties and Displacement
Two government military officials said 84 of their troops were killed, primarily by missile attacks, between midday Saturday and early Sunday morning. Four Houthi military sources reported 57 rebel fighters killed in the same period. An AFP-compiled tally using military and medical sources from both sides placed the total death toll at more than 300 combatants and some civilians. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that 1,790 households were displaced after intense shelling in the two districts. Families fled to the Al-Bareen internally displaced persons (IDP) camp on Saturday, and by Sunday AFP journalists observed additional shelters being erected with mattresses, livestock and personal belongings.
Strategic Significance of Bab Al-Mandab
The Bab Al-Mandab strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea, has grown in importance after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. Control of the chokepoint would give the Houthis leverage over a key transit route linking Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal.
Official Reactions
A government spokesperson said forces had established positions north of Hays after advancing, while acknowledging Houthi gains west of Taiz and south of Hays.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The shooting came at us from above and from below,” — Rawdhah Hasan
