Voice of Urdu – International News in English & Urdu

Houthi Missile Strike Kills Four Civilians Near Taiz, Yemen — AI-generated representative image: Displaced civilians walk along a damaged road near Taiz, Yemen, amid renewed fighting.

Editorial Team

Deadly attack on a crowded road as fighting displaces nearly 1,800 Yemeni families in under 48 hours

At least four civilians were killed and nine others injured in a Houthi missile strike on a crowded road in southwestern Yemen on Saturday, according to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency.

The Iran-backed group targeted a gathering of civilians along the strategic Heijah al-Abd road, south of Taiz city, Saba reported, citing local and medical sources. The attack unfolded amid heavy fighting across key front lines in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates.

The strike marks a sharp escalation in a conflict that has reignited across multiple fronts, threatening civilians and deepening an already severe humanitarian emergency. The renewed violence has forced thousands of families from their homes while aid groups warn their capacity to respond is rapidly shrinking.

The fighting also carries strategic significance, as both sides contest control of the Red Sea coastline and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime corridor connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Escalating Frontline Battles

Yemeni government forces reported retaking several key positions on the Haifan front, south of Taiz. A military source from the 4th Hazm Brigade told Saba that government troops captured several strategic heights, including al-Wathra, Saeed Taha, Dhiban, al-Khadira, and al-Najdain.

Military officials said these positions overlook the al-Khazja market and cut off key Houthi supply lines running toward several fronts in the southern Taiz and northwestern Lahj governorates.

At the same time, government military officials confirmed that Houthi rebels have made advances of their own, seizing a strategic military base in western Taiz located on a mountaintop that provides an overview of the entire area.

Strategic Push Toward the Red Sea

Military experts say control of the Red Sea coastline is a primary goal for the Houthis, which requires securing ground across southern Hodeidah and western Taiz. Reporting from the capital Sanaa, Al Jazeera's Yousef Mawry said the aim appears to be a Houthi push toward Bab al-Mandeb and territory leading to the Red Sea port city of al-Makha, also known as Mocha.

The Houthis previously controlled al-Makha, which overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, before being driven out in 2017 by government forces and the Saudi-led coalition. In July, the rebel group declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

Government reinforcements are already on the way to western Taiz, where the objective is less about gaining new territory and more about recapturing areas that have fallen under Houthi control, according to Mawry.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the renewed fighting has forced nearly 1,800 families to flee their homes in less than 48 hours. Heavy shelling in the Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts of Taiz completely emptied several camps for displaced people.

Most families have managed to move to safer locations within the same districts, while others fled to nearby areas. Aid organisations warned that some families remain trapped directly on the front lines and urgently need safe passage, while those who escaped are arriving with almost no food, shelter, or basic supplies.

Relief efforts face significant hurdles because phone and internet networks remain cut off across the combat zones. Aid groups also warned that emergency stocks are severely depleted, leaving them with limited capacity to assist those displaced.

What Lies Ahead

Fighting remains active across the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates as government forces work to recapture territory seized by the Houthis and reinforcements move toward the western Taiz front. The humanitarian response continues despite severe constraints on communications and supplies.

Authorities have not yet announced a timeline for restoring services in affected areas, and further details on the civilian casualties and the full scope of displacement remain to be confirmed.