AI Generated Image
Civilians among at least 60 killed in Yemen as ground fighting escalates
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- Clashes between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have killed over 60 people, including civilians, amid a Houthi offensive on Yemen’s western coast.
- Fighting in southwestern Yemen, particularly around Taiz and southern Hodeidah, has intensified since the collapse of a 2022 ceasefire in July, with recent battles resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
- The Houthis aim to capture strategic hills near Bab al-Mandeb, a vital maritime chokepoint for global trade, to advance towards key port cities and control naval traffic along the Red Sea coast.
- Control over Bab al-Mandeb is crucial as it handles about 10% of global maritime trade, and disruption there could further increase global goods prices, already affected by tensions in the region.
- Yemen’s civil war, ongoing since 2014, pits the Iran-backed Houthis against the Saudi-supported government, with the conflict exacerbated by regional rivalries and strategic interests in controlling critical maritime routes.
