Yemeni Government Forces Announce Control Over Jabal Qurfan in Taiz

Jabal Qurfan gains strategic importance due to its location within the mountain range of the "Jardad-Bani Omar Front", between the Al-Shamaitin and Al-Wazi'iyah directorates, while control over the mountain allows the forces overseeing it greater ability to monitor and secure the area with fire.

Al-Majidi said that the government forces, supported by the popular resistance of the Bani Omar tribe, "tightened their control over Jabal Qurfan", following battles with Houthi elements stationed at the site.

He added that the clashes resulted in the death of more than 5 Houthi elements and the injury of about 20 others, while the group continues to shell the forces' positions with mortars.

The Houthis have not issued an immediate comment on these developments.

For years, Taiz Governorate has witnessed intermittent clashes between the government forces, which control the city center and some directorates, and the Houthi group, which controls large parts of the governorate's most populous directorates in Yemen, amid repeated attempts to change the lines of contact on a number of fronts.

The battles in Yemen, which escalated again since July last year, have seen a noticeable change in the map of field control.

During September of this year, the Houthi group expanded its control over the western coast, taking control of Al-Mukalla city and other areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, including Mayun Island and Dhabab.

The Houthis' control of strategic sites on the Red Sea coast and around Bab al-Mandab has led to a clear change in the course of the battles and the map of field control.