Yemen.. Clashes in Taiz and Marib and raids on the Houthis in 8 governorates

The Deputy Head of the Moral Guidance Division in the "Taiz Military Axis," Colonel Abdul Basit Al-Bahr, said that government forces are engaged in "violent and continuous clashes" on several fronts in the governorate.

He explained, via the American company "X" platform, that the clashes are concentrated on the outskirts of the Al-Dhabab and Jabal Habashi areas west of Taiz, and Al-Aqroud and Al-Masrakh to the south.

Earlier on Monday, the Axis said that warplanes carried out a series of raids targeting Houthi sites in the Al-Arsoum and Al-Maraziqan areas and Al-Sitteen Street north of Taiz city.

It added that other raids targeted Jabal Al-Munim and Tabat Al-Khalwa west of Taiz and the Central Security camp east of the city, without providing details on their results.

Coinciding with the clashes, the Yemeni government called on the international community to exert "effective pressure" to lift the siege on Taiz and ensure the arrival of basic supplies to it.

The Ministry of Human Rights said, in a statement published by the official Yemeni news agency "Saba," that Houthi attacks in the vicinity of the city and their control over a road connecting it to supply outlets to other governorates led to the suspension of traffic and the disruption of the arrival of supply shipments.

It warned that the continued closure of the road exacerbates the shortage of food, medicine, and fuel and hinders the arrival of supplies to markets and vital facilities and the transport of patients for treatment outside the city.

It called on the United Nations and international humanitarian and human rights organizations for an urgent response, stressing that the priority is to deliver life-saving supplies and ensure the continued operation of health facilities and vital services.

Residents in Taiz had reported to the Anadolu correspondent on Saturday that the city is witnessing a fuel crisis and a shortage of some basic commodities as a result of the suspension of the road connecting it to Aden due to the fighting.

Yemeni human rights and humanitarian organizations accuse the Houthis of closing most of the roads leading to government-controlled areas in Taiz and imposing a siege on the city for years, while the group denies this.

In Marib Governorate in the center of the country, the army announced the continuation of its operations against the Houthis on the northern fronts of the governorate, as part of the "Dawn of Yemen" operation.

It said in a statement that its forces are engaged in direct battles with the Houthis, coinciding with strikes carried out by warplanes, drones, artillery, and rocket launchers.

Marib is considered one of the most prominent oil-producing governorates in Yemen, and it also includes the largest gathering of displaced persons in the country, as their number exceeds two million people.

On the political level, former Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar called on anti-Houthi forces to unify their positions and renounce differences.

Al-Ahmar said, in a statement, that the Yemenis are fighting a "fateful battle," praising the government forces and the popular resistance, especially in Taiz Governorate.

He called on "all forces constituting the national front and all Yemenis to synchronize positions and confront together, close ranks, unite the leadership, government, and people, and renounce the causes of division and disagreement."

Al-Ahmar is considered one of the most prominent military and political figures in Yemen, and he previously led battles against the Houthis at several stages since 2004.

In contrast, the Houthi-affiliated "Saba" news agency said that raids targeted the Al-Thawra district in the capital, Sanaa, and the Hamdan district in the governorate.

It added that "Saudi missile shelling" targeted the border district of Al-Dhaher in Saada Governorate in the north of the country.

It also quoted an unnamed local source as saying that two raids targeted the Al-Zarbi road in the Hayfan district south of Taiz Governorate.

The agency did not announce the results of those raids, while no government comment was issued on the Houthi allegations.

In the same context, the group's spokesman, Yahya Saree, said on "X" that the past 24 hours witnessed 119 airstrikes and missile attacks on the governorates of Sanaa, Al-Jawf, Taiz, Saada, Marib, Lahj, Al-Bayda, and Ibb, claiming that they left civilian dead and wounded.

He said that the total number of raids "since the start of the escalation reached 2177 airstrikes and missile attacks," without specifying a specific date.

On the humanitarian level, the UN World Food Programme warned on Monday of worsening hunger in Yemen, saying that 74 percent of households in the areas it was able to reach are unable to meet their basic food needs.

The program added, via "X," that this is the highest percentage recorded during the current year, which indicates a significant deterioration in food security.

It pointed to the displacement of more than 200,000 people since the escalation of the conflict last July, confirming its readiness to expand the scope of food aid.

It stressed that ensuring safe access to the most vulnerable areas is critical for delivering urgent aid.

In a related development, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Monday the destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the city of Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation also announced the death of a Pakistani resident and the injury of 11 people as a result of an attack that targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday.

Since October 5, 5 Saudi airports have been subjected to 10 attacks, resulting in the death of 19 people and the injury of hundreds, in addition to material damage and disruptions to air traffic.

The attacks come in light of continuous military escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis since last July, which included targeting civil aviation facilities and energy installations in the Kingdom.

Yemen has been witnessing a war since the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, and several governorates in September 2014, before a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the Yemeni government.