Overview
- The Houthi offensive, which began Thursday, mixes ground assaults with ballistic missiles, armed drones and naval tactics to push west of Taiz toward the port of al‑Makha and positions overlooking the Bab al‑Mandeb strait.
- Reporting compiled by AFP put the death toll at about 129, but battlefield and medical counts differ and figures remain provisional as fighting continues.
- Yemen’s army says it has retaken strategic heights in Jabal Habashi, including al‑Khazan and al‑Makahna, while clashes and reinforcements persist across Maqbanah, Al‑Kadha and Mawza fronts.
- The offensive has driven a rapid humanitarian crisis with UN OCHA reporting nearly 1,800 families displaced in under 48 hours and confirmed strikes that killed civilians on roads and buses.
- The campaign extends a declared Houthi maritime blockade, includes intercepted explosive boats and repeated attacks on Saudi‑linked ships, which together heighten risks to Red Sea trade and could widen regional tensions.