Eight members of the Houthi group have been killed in clashes with Yemeni government forces in Taiz province, while three members of the government-backed National Resistance Forces (NRF) were killed in clashes with Houthi fighters on Yemen’s west coast, according to statements.
The Yemeni Armed Forces’ media centre said on X on Wednesday that eight members of the Houthi group were killed and 15 others wounded on Tuesday as government forces had thwarted a Houthi attack in the Al Safa area near the southwestern city of Taiz.
The attack was repelled after fierce clashes involving various types of weaponry, resulting in casualties and equipment losses among the Houthis, it added.
The statement did not provide further details regarding the condition of those who were injured or whether government forces had suffered any casualties.
The Houthis, for their part, did not immediately respond to the claims.
Regional hostilities
Separately, the government-backed NRF announced on Wednesday that three of its members had been killed in clashes with Houthis on Yemen’s west coast.
The NRF-linked 2 December news agency reported that public funeral ceremonies were held for the slain soldiers in the southwestern city of Mokha.
According to the news agency, the clashes occurred on the west coast, where NRF soldiers were fighting to “restore their state and end the Iranian expansionist project” - a reference to the ongoing conflict with the Houthis.
It did not provide further details regarding the circumstances of the soldiers’ deaths.
In 2014, the Iran-backed Houthis overran much of the country, including Yemen’s capital Sanaa.
This was followed by several years of war between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Since the eruption of Israel’s war on Gaza in 2023, the Houthis have become increasingly involved in regional hostilities, carrying out missile attacks on Israel and Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea.
The latest uptick in fighting – coupled with the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States – has revived fears of a return to full-scale conflict in the impoverished Gulf country.
