Fighting spread across Yemen on Tuesday as government forces renewed their push against remaining Houthi pockets near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while battles raged around Taiz amid heavy airstrikes on Houthi positions, reinforcements and supply lines. Government forces reported gains in several strategic positions. Fierce clashes erupted near Bab al-Mandeb between the Houthis and government forces backed by the Giants Brigades, Nation's Shield Forces and Tihama Brigades, as troops battled to seize hills overlooking the vital waterway. The fighting coincided with airstrikes on Houthi positions around the port city of Mokha and along Yemen's western coast. Government military sources said troops captured strategic hilltops after attacking Houthi positions, killing and wounding fighters and forcing others to flee by boat. Preliminary reports pointed to strikes on boats and maritime supplies believed to be used by the Houthis to ferry reinforcements and equipment to positions near the strait. Sources in the Nation's Shield Forces dismissed reports that the Houthis had seized the Kahboub mountains, saying their troops remained deployed at Dhubab Airport and across the surrounding mountain range. A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government operates a turret from the back of a pickup truck at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP) Government forces push forward in Taiz Battles continued across Taiz city and its surrounding countryside, with airstrikes pounding Houthi positions, troop concentrations and reinforcements as government forces and local resistance fighters sought to strengthen their positions and thwart Houthi advances. Government military sources said troops seized Mount al-Midan after fierce fighting backed by airstrikes. Field sources said government troops and local fighters also established fire control over in areas along the Al-Dhabab road. Troops had begun clearing, securing and consolidating their newly captured positions, said Yemeni army Colonel Abdulbasit al-Bahr. But government forces met stiff resistance near the Old Airport military camp and the Madrat area, where heavy fire and heavy weapons thwarted their attempts to advance, he revealed. He reported Houthi fighters killed, wounded and captured, along with military vehicles destroyed or set ablaze. Heavy clashes also broke out on the Shaqab and Al-Aqroud fronts, with both sides exchanging fire using various weapons. Government sources said troops repelled a Houthi attack in Al-Aqroud. Authorities in Taiz said Houthi sniper fire killed five civilians and wounded five others, including children, in the villages of Hamma, Al-Damna and nearby communities. Shelling also struck residential neighborhoods on the city's outskirts. Local sources reported airstrikes near Taiz Airport and across several areas of the province. A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government fires a turret from the back of a pickup truck at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP) 1,276 strikes Yemen's armed forces said they carried out 1,276 strikes in 24 hours under Operation Dawn of Yemen, targeting Houthi military capabilities across multiple fronts in an indication of the widening campaign. Military spokesman Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili said the strikes targeted command-and-control centers, defensive positions, firing positions, reinforcements, transport and supply vehicles, and weapons and ammunition depots. Strikes also hit targets deeper inside Houthi-held territory in an effort to disrupt the group's ability to direct operations and regroup its forces, he said. The military said the operations had neutralized about 382 Houthi commanders and fighters, destroyed or disabled 140 military vehicles and heavy weapons, and destroyed weapons and ammunition depots. Nuzaili said simultaneous operations were continuing across Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda and the southern and southwestern fronts, targeting Houthi movements, defenses and supply lines. The aim, he said, was to restrict the Houthis' ability to move reserves and concentrate forces on a single front. As fighting intensified, government officials and rights groups raised alarms over the impact of shelling and the siege on civilians in Taiz. Yemen's Human Rights Ministry condemned attacks on densely populated neighborhoods with mortar shells, Katyusha rockets and ballistic missiles. It urged the international community to act to halt the attacks, lift the siege and hold those responsible for targeting civilians and civilian property accountable. On the diplomatic front, Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani discussed the military escalation and its humanitarian fallout with European Union Ambassador to Yemen Patrick Simonnet, including the continuing siege of Taiz and attacks on civilian facilities. Zindani urged international pressure to end the Houthi siege and reopen roads for civilians and humanitarian aid. He also pointed to the European Commission's allocation of an additional 22.5 million euros in humanitarian assistance for Yemen.
