Yemeni forces launch offensive to retake Houthi-held al-Waziiya in Taiz

What the report says

Forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have launched an offensive to retake al-Waziiya, a mountainous district in Taiz governorate that Al Jazeera says is strategically important for access to the Red Sea port of Mocha and the Bab al-Mandeb area. The operation is part of a broader campaign announced by Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi to recover Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa.

According to Yemen’s army media centre, the pro-government Homeland Shield Forces began a large-scale push on Tuesday and secured high ground overlooking the al-Mansoura area. The Houthis disputed that account, saying they had repelled the advance. Al Jazeera reported from Sanaa that the district sits west of Taiz and east of Mocha, and that control of the surrounding mountains could affect any future attempt to take the port city.

The fighting coincided with fresh cross-border tensions in the south. Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait, while Saudi civil aviation officials said airports in Jazan and Najran were hit in separate attacks that injured three people and caused damage. The Houthis said they had targeted sites in southern Saudi Arabia.

The report also said the Saudi-led coalition is backing the Yemeni government offensive with air support, and that Pakistan and Turkiye have agreed to activate deterrence measures under their defence arrangements with Riyadh. The developments underline the wider regional stakes of the Yemen war and the continuing contest over key coastal and border areas.