Sanaa, Sept 2026 : At least 44 people were killed in fighting between Yemeni government forces and Houthi fighters over the past 24 hours, according to military sources from both sides, as clashes intensified in the country’s southwestern provinces of Taiz and Lahj.
A Yemeni government military source, speaking to Xinhua News Agency on condition of anonymity, said fierce battles were underway across several contested areas, with both sides deploying reinforcements to frontline positions extending toward the strategic waterways in the region.
In Taiz province, intense fighting was reported in the Al-Kadha and Al-Wazi'iyah areas. The government forces claimed to have repelled several Houthi attacks during the past 24 hours.
According to the government source, six government soldiers and 11 Houthi fighters were killed in the clashes. The source said the Houthis had deployed substantial reinforcements and attempted to breach defensive positions at several points.
“The Houthis sent in large reinforcements and tried to break through our defensive lines at several positions, but the attacks were repelled,” the source said.
Fighting was also reported farther south in Lahj province, particularly around the Kahbub mountain area. The strategically located high ground overlooks approaches to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's key maritime routes connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
A second government military official told Xinhua that 12 government soldiers had been killed in fighting around Kahbub over the same 24-hour period.
A Houthi military source, however, provided figures from the group's side, saying that 15 Houthi fighters, including a commander, were killed in the fighting around Kahbub.
The latest escalation follows significant territorial gains reportedly made by the Houthis along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast earlier this month.
The group captured the strategic port city of Mocha on September 10 and subsequently advanced south toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. On September 11, the Houthis reportedly took control of Mayyun, also known as Perim Island, which lies strategically in the middle of the strait.
The developments have added to concerns over the security of an important maritime corridor through which a significant volume of international shipping passes.
Yemen's conflict began in late 2014 after the Houthis seized control of Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in support of Yemen's internationally recognised government, further escalating the conflict.
The latest clashes underline the continuing volatility of Yemen's southwestern frontlines and the strategic importance of areas surrounding Bab al-Mandeb.
