Yemen Army Recaptures Key Hills as Houthi Offensive Death Toll Tops 120
· World · Al Jazeera, The Hindu
Yemeni government forces recaptured the strategically important al-Khazan and al-Makahna hills in the Jabal Habashi district west of Taiz city, the army said on Friday, as clashes with Houthi rebels entered a second day along the Red Sea coast. An AFP tally puts the death toll at over 120 since the Houthis launched their broad offensive on Thursday, with a Houthi source telling Al Jazeera that more than 100 fighters had been killed across both sides. Yemeni military officials separately reported 24 government troops killed near the west coast and 15 more in Taiz, while medical sources in Houthi-controlled areas said at least 42 fighters had died. Several civilians were killed and others injured when a ballistic missile struck a restaurant in the coastal city of al-Makha (Mocha), according to state-run Saba TV. Government sources said reinforcements had arrived in western Taiz to counter the Houthi push, which an Aden-based official said aims to seize hills overlooking Bab al-Mandeb and
Why it matters
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints for oil and cargo, and any Houthi advance toward al-Makha threatens shipping lanes vital to global trade and energy supplies, including imports bound for India.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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