Yemeni army claims it recaptured areas in Taiz as Houthi missile kills, wounds dozens

The Yemeni army said on Friday that it recaptured several areas in the southwestern Taiz province during fierce clashes with the Houthis, as the Defence Ministry accused the group of firing a ballistic missile at a popular market, killing and wounding dozens of civilians.

The army said forces backed by the Popular Resistance recaptured Al-Nidani village, Shaab Al-Sarari and large parts of the Sanamat area, as well as the Ribat Al-Qarn area in Dhi al-Barh.

Fighting continued on the Saber front, while government forces imposed a siege on entrances to the Al-Sarari area, according to the military.

The army said the Houthis suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment, while government forces were consolidating positions in recaptured areas and clearing mines.

Separately, Yemen’s Defence Ministry said the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at the Al-Hadara popular market in Al-Wazi’iyah district of Taiz province on Friday.

The attack left dozens of civilians dead and wounded, the ministry said without providing an exact casualty figure.

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country.

A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, triggering years of fighting and a severe humanitarian crisis.

Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles fired towards Saudi Arabia’s Najran

Air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi group towards Saudi Arabia’s Najran, the Saudi-led coalition said on Friday.

Debris fell following the interception, and damage was being assessed, the coalition said in a post on X.

In a separate post on X, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki stated that a drone was intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah region.

A day earlier, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan condemned an attempt by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group to target Saudi Arabia’s Madinah region with a ballistic missile, reaffirming full solidarity with Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed the missile while also downing a Houthi drone over the kingdom’s Eastern Province.

In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the attempt as “a blatant provocation of Muslims, a reckless disregard for civilian lives,” a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a breach of international law.

The ministry reaffirmed Qatar’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all legitimate measures taken by the kingdom to safeguard its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and interests.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry expressed its outright rejection of the continued attacks, calling them “a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, international law and international humanitarian law.”

The ministry reiterated Kuwait’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia and its backing for all measures taken by the kingdom to protect its sovereignty and security and safeguard the lives of citizens and residents.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said targeting Madinah was not only a threat to civilians and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque but also an assault on the sanctity of Islamic holy sites that offends Muslims worldwide.

The ministry renewed Bahrain’s call on the UN Security Council to take firm and deterrent measures to halt repeated Houthi attacks, prevent the targeting of religious holy sites and civilian objects, and hold perpetrators and their supporters accountable.

Read: Saudi strikes on Yemen kill 7 as 12-hour death toll reaches 24

The condemnations were also echoed by Jordan, which described the attempt to target the Madinah region with a ballistic missile as a provocation to Muslims’ sentiments, a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, a threat to its security and stability, and a blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter.

In a statement, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, stressing its support for all measures taken by the kingdom to safeguard its security, stability, sovereignty and the safety of its citizens and residents.

The Saudi-led coalition said Thursday that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia toward the Madinah region.

The Houthis rejected claims that they targeted Madinah.

Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other areas in September 2014. The Saudi-led Arab coalition has supported the internationally recognised Yemeni government since March 2015. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks, with the Houthis launching repeated missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory.