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At least four civilians killed in Houthi missile strike near Yemen’s Taiz

From Al Jazeera · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • At least four civilians were killed and nine injured in a Houthi missile strike on a crowded road south of Taiz, Yemen, according to the state-run Saba news agency.
  • The attack came as government forces and Houthi fighters battled across Taiz and Hodeidah, with both sides reporting territorial gains.
  • The renewed fighting forced nearly 1,800 families to flee their homes in less than 48 hours, the U.N. humanitarian office said.

At least four civilians were killed and nine others injured when a Houthi missile struck a crowded road south of Taiz, Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency reported. The attack targeted civilians gathered along the strategic Heijah al-Abd road, according to local and medical sources cited by the agency.

The strike came as fierce fighting spread across front lines in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates. Yemen’s government forces said they had retaken several strategic positions on the Haifan front, including al-Wathra, Saeed Taha, Dhiban, al-Khadira and al-Najdain. Military officials said the positions overlook the al-Khazja market and disrupt Houthi supply routes toward fronts in southern Taiz and northwestern Lahj.

The aim seems to be for the Houthis to push towards Bab al-Mandeb, and gain territory towards the city and Red Sea port city of al-Makha [Mocha].

· Yousef MawryAl Jazeera’s reporter described the apparent direction of the Houthi offensive.

But the Houthis have also made advances. Al Jazeera reporter Yousef Mawry said the group captured a strategic military base on a mountain in western Taiz, giving it a commanding view of the surrounding area. Government reinforcements were reportedly heading to the front. Mawry said government forces were seeking to retake territory captured by the Houthis rather than expand their own control.

In western Taiz, they’ve managed to take over a strategic military base, which is located on top of a strategic mountain and gives the Houthis an overview of the entire area.

· Yousef MawryMawry reported on a Houthi territorial gain in western Taiz.

The fighting is also tied to the struggle for Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. The Houthis appear to be pushing toward Bab al-Mandeb and the port city of al-Makha, or Mocha, while military experts cited by Al Jazeera said control of the coastline remains a central objective. The group held al-Makha before government forces and the Saudi-led coalition drove it out in 2017.

The escalation has brought a new wave of displacement. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said renewed fighting forced nearly 1,800 families to leave their homes in less than 48 hours. Heavy shelling was reported in the Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts.

The goal for government forces is not so much to gain territory, but to recapture the areas that have fallen under the control of the Houthis.

· Yousef MawryMawry described the government forces’ stated operational objective.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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