Fighting escalates between Houthis and government forces in Taiz

Military sources report intermittent clashes between Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis in the western and southern villages of Taiz, in western Yemen.

The fighting began in eastern al-Balaq, where fierce battles were fought, and then spread to the al-Kudhah front as well, the sources told Al Jazeera.

Government forces say the Houthis aim to advance deeper toward the strategic Kahboub mountains, which overlook the Bab al-Mandeb strait — a key point of international navigation that the Iran-backed Houthis are trying to control. On the other hand, in the southern village of Taiz — currently the hottest front — government troops report significant advances against Houthi positions.

The escalation is accompanied by a deepening humanitarian crisis: new waves of displaced people are fleeing the conflict zones, while the United Nations says the number of displaced has reached around 125,000 since the start of the month, with a warning of worsening conditions as the fighting spreads across an ever-wider geographic area.

Source: Al Jazeera — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/9/16/iran-war-live-irans-top-diplomat-heads-to-china-as-war-drags-on