Yemeni government forces are battling Houthi attempts to seize strategic high ground east of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and west of Taiz, as fighting intensifies around one of the world’s most important maritime corridors and European naval forces raise their alert level in the Red Sea.

Heavy fighting was reported over the past 24 hours on the Kahboub and Al-Wazi’iyah fronts, accompanied by airstrikes against Houthi positions, vehicles and reinforcements. Yemeni government military sources said their forces had repelled several attacks and attempts to advance.

At Kahboub, a mountainous area between Lahj and Taiz overlooking approaches to Bab al-Mandab, the army said it fought off a Houthi assault lasting more than three hours. Government forces said they broke the attack three times before the Houthi fighters withdrew.

The fighting centres on high ground overlooking routes between Yemen’s western coast and the interior. Control of those positions could help either side protect or threaten access to coastal territory surrounding the strait.

The latest clashes follow major Houthi territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The group seized the strategic port city of Mokha earlier this month and subsequently expanded its presence around Bab al-Mandab and nearby Red Sea islands.


Fighting spreads west of Taiz

In Al-Wazi’iyah, west of Taiz, government military sources said Houthi reinforcements attempted to capture additional elevated positions before government forces responded with ground attacks and airstrikes.

A military source in the Taiz command claimed that 30 Houthi fighters were killed and more than 60 wounded, while six military vehicles and two tanks were destroyed. Those battlefield casualty figures have not been independently verified.

Government forces also reported attacks against Houthi supplies and military positions around Mokha and other fronts in Taiz.

The Houthis’ recent advances have dramatically changed the military picture along Yemen’s western coast. Reuters reported last week that the group had captured Mokha and advanced towards strategic Red Sea islands, increasing concerns over its ability to threaten shipping through Bab al-Mandab.

Fighting has also continued on fronts elsewhere in Yemen, including Marib, while the government says it is redeploying forces and strengthening units following recent battlefield setbacks.

Three children reported killed

The renewed fighting has also caused civilian casualties.

Official Yemeni sources said Houthi shelling struck the village of Al-Turairah in the Al-Dharifah area of Al-Wazi’iyah on Friday, killing three children aged two, four and 14. The casualty account was reported by Asharq Al-Awsat but could not be independently verified by Gazatte.

The escalation comes amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian situation. Recent fighting between Houthi forces and their opponents has displaced tens of thousands of Yemenis, with some civilians fleeing across the Red Sea towards Djibouti.

Yemeni government vows to regain initiative

Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council, said government forces remained capable of regaining the initiative on the western coast despite recent Houthi advances.

Al-Alimi said operations were continuing across fronts in Taiz, Marib, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Al-Bayda and Al-Dhale, alongside a wider redeployment intended to prevent recent Houthi territorial gains from becoming permanent.

He said the government’s broader objective was to restore control over Yemeni territory, secure the coastline and territorial waters and prevent armed groups from using coastal positions to threaten international maritime routes.

His comments came as anti-Houthi forces face scrutiny over the rapid loss of territory on the western coast. The Guardian reported that an inquiry had been launched into the collapse and withdrawal of anti-Houthi units during the recent offensive.

Europe raises alert in Red Sea

The fighting around Bab al-Mandab is increasingly drawing international attention because of the strait’s importance to global trade.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU’s naval mission in the Red Sea, Operation Aspides, had raised the alert level of its vessels because of the deteriorating security situation.

“Given the worsening security situation, EU Operation Aspides has raised the alert level of its vessels as it continues its escort duties,” Kallas said.

She condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and said she had discussed diplomatic efforts to end the fighting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Italy is meanwhile calling for a larger naval presence in the Red Sea.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told Reuters that more warships were needed to protect merchant shipping, saying Italy was preparing its own naval response while continuing to participate in Operation Aspides.

The Bab al-Mandab is just 29 kilometres wide at its narrowest point and connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and, further north, the Suez Canal. Petroleum volumes passing through the strait were equivalent to about 7 per cent of global oil output in June, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters.

The waterway has become still more strategically important as the wider Middle East conflict disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis have said their maritime operations are directed against specific targets and have sought to reassure international shipping, while maintaining pressure on Saudi-linked vessels. Their growing territorial presence around Bab al-Mandab, however, has increased concern among governments, shipping companies and insurers over the security of the route.