More than 140 fighters were killed in fighting between Yemeni government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the southwest of the country between Saturday afternoon and the early hours of Sunday, AFP reported, citing military sources.
Two Saudi-backed government officials said 84 soldiers had been killed, mostly in missile strikes. Four Houthi sources said 57 of their fighters had been killed. More than 300 fighters and several civilians have been killed since the offensive began on Thursday, according to military and medical sources on both sides, compiled by AFP.
The Houthis are launching the offensive to cut off access to the government-controlled port city of Moha and advance towards areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
The fighting has displaced some 1,790 households in the Makbanah and Jabal Habashi areas, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. The fighting has also forced people from nearby camps for internally displaced people to flee their homes, triggering a new wave of displacement.
In the early hours of Sunday, the intensity of the fighting had eased. Government forces have strengthened positions north of Hays, while the Houthis have advanced west of Taiz towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The offensive marks the heaviest fighting in Yemen since the collapse of a 2022 ceasefire in July. There are fears of a new escalation. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a key sea route between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal.
The Houthis have also declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and launched attacks on its ships and territory.