Yemen gov’t forces advance in Taiz as Houthis claim attack on Saudi Arabia

Yemeni government forces have advanced in western Taiz after successfully repelling a Houthi offensive.Armed forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have retaken positions from the Houthis and are advancing in the southwestern Taiz province as clashes intensify.Reporting from Taiz on Monday, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Yasser Hassan said forces loyal to the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government advanced in western Taiz on Sunday after successfully repelling a Houthi offensive.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3More than 2,000 Yemenis flee to Djibouti as fighting intensifieslist 2 of 3The Houthis’ escalation in Yemen could floplist 3 of 3Fighting continues between Yemen gov’t forces, Houthis: What is the latest?end of list“This comes with the support of air strikes targeting Houthi gatherings. The air force continues to bomb the Houthis. On the west coast in Mocha, Dhubab, and their surroundings,” Hassan said, citing a source in government forces.In a statement on Monday, the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), said they launched attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.The group said the attacks targeted “military facilities and infrastructure, including aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways, ammunition depots and other targets at King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait”, Saudi Arabia.It said the attacks were a response to a Saudi offensive, which involved more than 300 air strikes across Yemen over five days.There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the Houthi claims.On Sunday, the Saudi civil defence agency sent alerts for the city of Abha and the region around Khamis Mushait, but they were quickly lifted shortly afterwards.Fighting in Yemen’s more than 10-year civil war reignited in July, threatening a United Nations-brokered truce that halted large-scale violence in 2022, after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea.