Government forces say they captured Mount Qarfan in Taiz after heavy clashes with Houthi fighters, claiming five Houthis killed and 20 wounded. The mountain overlooks strategic valleys toward the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb, giving the holder significant surveillance and fire-control advantages. Fighting across Yemen has driven a sharp rise in casualties and displacement: the WHO reports 674 killed and nearly 3,000 injured since August 6, and more than 158,000 people displaced this month.
Government Forces Claim Capture Of Strategic Mount Qarfan In Taiz
A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026 [File: AFP]
Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces say they have taken full control of strategic Mount Qarfan in the western Taiz governorate after clashes with Iran-aligned Houthi fighters.
The Yemen Armed Forces Media Center reported that government troops, backed by local fighters, secured the summit on Tuesday. Major General Abdulaziz al-Majidi, chief of staff for the Taiz military axis, described "fierce battles" and said government forces killed five Houthi fighters and wounded 20 while re-establishing control of the mountain.
Strategic Importance
Control of Mount Qarfan would give government forces commanding fire-control and surveillance over the surrounding valleys between the ash-Shamaytaun and al-Waziiya districts in southern Taiz. The heights overlook approaches to the Red Sea coast, including routes toward the Bab al-Mandeb strait and nearby islands, making them strategically significant for coastal operations.
Wider Front And Competing Claims
There was no immediate public comment from the Houthis on the government's claim. The clashes come amid intensified fighting across Yemen, part of broader regional tensions tied to the wider US-Israel-Iran dynamics.
The Houthis have pushed along Yemen's Red Sea coast this month — including around the port of Mocha — and have attempted to advance into the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahj governorates. Analysts told Al Jazeera that the Houthis are likely seeking to hold high ground to shield their coastal positions and interdict government-held areas in the south.
"The mountains are the natural wall that protects the Houthis' rear on the coast. Controlling them would cut the coast off from the government-held south and place direct pressure on Lahj and, in the longer term, Aden," said Faozi Al-Goidi, a visiting fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
Other Developments And Humanitarian Impact
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Houthi forces shot down a reconnaissance drone over Mocha and accused Saudi warplanes of carrying out 19 air strikes in the previous 24 hours across Taiz, al-Jawf and Marib governorates. The government-aligned Yemeni News Agency also reported Houthi shelling of residential neighbourhoods in central Taiz, causing damage to homes.
The World Health Organization said 674 people have been killed and almost 3,000 injured in renewed fighting since August 6, including 164 deaths and 516 injuries recorded between September 13 and 18. Meanwhile, displacement has surged: Yemen's Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps reported more than 158,000 people displaced this month.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Al-Huri, an assistant professor at the University of Saba Region, warned that civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence. "Three thousand people have crossed the sea to Djibouti and Somalia to seek refuge and safety, using primitive boats, putting their lives at risk," he said. "People have become desperate — they have lost their homes, farms and sources of income, and many live in overcrowded camps with limited access to food, water, sanitation and medical care."
Claims about battlefield gains remain difficult to independently verify. The situation on the ground is fluid and further reporting is likely to clarify which positions are held by which side.
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