Houthi Ground Offensive Kills at Least 81 as Rebels Seize Positions Overlooking Bab al-Mandab Strait

Fighting between Yemen's Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces that erupted Thursday near the Red Sea coast and around Taiz has killed at least 129 people, according to an AFP tally citing military and medical sources, up from an earlier count of 81 1234. A Yemeni military official told AFP that 66 of his men were killed, while medical and military sources close to the Houthis reported at least 62 rebel fighters dead; one medical source said a civilian was also killed 23. Military sources told AFP the Houthis are seeking to cut off the government-held port of Mokha and seized elevated positions overlooking government lines near the coast and in Taiz, from which they could target shipping in the Bab al-Mandab strait 123. The offensive is the Houthis' first large-scale push since a fragile truce collapsed in July 2026 after the rebels welcomed an Iranian plane into Sanaa, and comes as the group maintains a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia while the strait's strategic value has risen amid Iran's separate blockade of the Strait of Hormuz 3. Yemen's government, based in Aden since 2014, has sent reinforcements to Taiz on Saudi orders, a Yemeni official told AFP 12.