World

Heavy fighting continues in southwestern Yemen

By AAP Newswire

Sep 30, 2026

Taiz after an attack — Saudi fighter jets bombed several locations including in the city of Taiz, the Houthi militia say. -EPA

Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels continue to engage in fighting in the southwest of the country as the militia sought to advance in the province of Lahj on the Gulf of Aden, according to government military sources.

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About 50 Houthi fighters and 20 government soldiers were killed in the clashes while dozens of militia members were also wounded, the sources said.

Government forces said they had carried out more than 350 operations against the Iran-aligned Houthis within 24 hours.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi fighter jets had bombed more than 30 targets in Yemen within 24 hours, targeting the provinces of Taiz, Saada and Hudaydah.

Saudi Arabia has not commented on the allegations.

Following suspected Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the Saudi civil defence agency issued a warning for the southern province of Najran.

Fighting has raged in Lahj, Taiz and other parts of Yemen between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government for weeks, including in the highlands overlooking the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea coast.

More than 180,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the start of the latest escalation in fighting, according to the World Health Organisation.