AL-MUKALLA: Heavy fighting broke out between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis outside the southern city of Taiz on Monday night, the latest in a string of attempts by the Iran-backed militia to make gains on the ground, as the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council vowed to continue “painful strikes” against the Houthis.
The Houthis heavily shelled military positions held by Yemeni government forces on the northern, northeastern and eastern outskirts of Taiz in an attempt to pave the way for ground forces to advance, Abdul Basit Al-Baher, a Yemeni military officer in Taiz, told Arab News.
The shelling sparked heavy fighting as government forces returned fire and engaged Houthi fighters on the ground.
“The fighting was very heavy, and our national army heroes crushed the Houthis and inflicted heavy losses on them,” Al-Baher said.
He said a number of Houthis were killed or wounded in the fighting and that the group failed to make any territorial gains.
