Yemen – Fighting escalates, dozens killed and wounded

Yemeni government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels continued to clash on September 29 in the country’s southwest, ATSH reports, citing DPA.

According to government military sources, the rebels are attempting to advance in Lahj province, near the Gulf of Aden. The same sources said about 50 Houthi fighters and 20 government soldiers were killed in the clashes, while dozens of Houthi militiamen were wounded.

Government forces said they had carried out more than 350 military operations against the Houthi rebels within 24 hours. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi warplanes had bombed more than 30 targets in Yemen within 24 hours, striking the provinces of Taiz, Saada and Hudaydah.

Saudi Arabia has not commented on these claims. Following suspected Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, Saudi civil defense authorities issued a warning to residents of the southern Najran province.

Fighting between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government forces has continued for weeks in Lahj, Taiz and other areas of Yemen. Clashes have also erupted in the mountainous areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital sea route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 180,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen since the start of the latest escalation in fighting.