13 soldiers killed as government forces battle Houthis in Taiz, Yemen

Pro-government Yemeni forces announced on Saturday that 13 of their soldiers were killed in recent fighting with Houthi rebels on front lines in Taiz province adjacent to Lahj governorate, according to a statement from the Tur al-Bahah Military Axis.

The army-affiliated axis reported the fatalities in a brief statement covering the past two days of combat but provided no further details on the exact locations or circumstances of the deaths. The announcement was widely shared by Yemeni news outlets, including the South24 Center for News and Studies.

The clashes form part of a broader military escalation across multiple fronts in Yemen. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks between internationally recognized government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi movement (Ansar Allah), particularly in southwestern areas near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Other fronts, including those in Marib, Al-Jawf, and Al-Bayda, have also seen renewed activity.

Independent reports cited higher overall casualties in the latest 24-hour period. Military sources from both sides told agencies that at least 44 to 48 people were killed in fighting concentrated in Taiz and Lahj provinces. Government sources reported around 17 of their soldiers killed, while Houthi sources claimed dozens of their fighters died, including at least one commander. Battles focused on areas such as Al-Kadha, Al-Wazi’iyah, and the Kahbub mountain range overlooking approaches to the Red Sea waterway.

The current surge follows major Houthi advances earlier in September, when the group seized the port city of Mocha and Mayyun (Perim) Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This marked the most significant fighting since a relative calm that followed a 2022 UN-brokered truce. Government forces have conducted counterattacks and airstrikes in response, reclaiming some positions in the contested border zone between Taiz and Lahj.

Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, has drawn in a Saudi-led coalition supporting the government. The conflict has caused widespread humanitarian suffering, with recent escalations displacing tens of thousands and disrupting shipping in the Red Sea corridor.

No independent verification of the exact casualty figures was immediately available, and both sides typically issue competing claims during active combat.