The internationally recognised Yemeni government says it carried out nearly 500 operations in 24 hours, reporting 1,540 Houthi fighters killed or wounded, mainly around Taiz. Authorities closed the al‑Houban crossing citing security concerns after alleged Houthi infiltration attempts. The 2022 truce collapsed in July and fighting has since escalated, displacing hundreds of thousands.
Yemen Government Reports Nearly 1,540 Houthi Casualties in 24 Hours as Taiz Becomes Flashpoint
A member of the security forces of the internationally recognised Yemeni government mans a checkpoint on a street in Taiz amid concerns over Houthi infiltration, late on September 27, 2026 [AFP]
Yemen's internationally recognised government said it carried out almost 500 military operations over 24 hours, causing an estimated 1,540 Houthi fighters to be killed or wounded, the army reported on Friday.
Military spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili told reporters that the operations used warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles and rocket launchers to strike Houthi positions across several parts of the country. He said the majority of the reported casualties were in Taiz governorate, where the operations halted an alleged Houthi advance.
“Most of the casualties came in the governorate of Taiz where the operations halted the Houthi advance,” Col. Majed Abdullah al-Nazili said.
The army did not report any casualties among government forces. On Saturday, the army’s media official Ammar al-Sami'i told Al Jazeera that authorities had closed the al-Houban crossing in Taiz, citing security concerns after what they described as an attempted Houthi infiltration, nearby attacks and a broader military buildup.
Sami'i said the al-Houban road — a key link connecting Houthi-held al-Houban and government-held Taiz city — had been closed for nine years and was reopened to civilians in 2024 for humanitarian reasons.
Recent Developments and Humanitarian Impact
A fragile truce struck in 2022 between the government and the Houthis collapsed in July, and fighting has intensified since then. In mid‑September the Houthis pushed across parts of western Yemen, seizing the port city of Mocha and strategic islands in the Bab al‑Mandeb strait. Since those advances, anti‑Houthi forces say they have largely stabilised front lines.
Humanitarian agencies and local sources report that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since the renewed fighting began, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Background
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. That advance forced the internationally recognised government to relocate to Aden and triggered years of multi‑sided conflict involving regional and international actors.
Note: Casualty figures and operational claims are reported by Yemeni government forces and are not independently verified in this report.
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