The Houthis tightened their siege of the Yemeni city of Taiz after taking control of Al-Misrakh district and the Najd Qasim area, while establishing fire control over the Wadi Al-Dhabab road, which serves as the city’s south-western entrance, according to Yemeni government military sources on Monday.
Taiz-Aden road cut as siege tightens
The development came after the Iran-backed Houthis took control in recent days of parts of southern Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. They also cut the road linking the city to Aden, where the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed Yemeni government has its temporary headquarters.
A field officer in the Yemeni government forces said the Houthis had closed the city’s four exits, adding that they were now exercising fire control over the city and shooting at any vehicle passing through them. The officer said the Houthis had attacked positions held by government forces responsible for protecting the city from the south and west, advancing during the attacks to new points on Taiz’s outskirts.
Houthis announce advances and arrival of reinforcements
Meanwhile, military sources affiliated with the Houthis said the group was making what it described as “major progress” on Taiz’s fronts. The same sources said hundreds of new fighters had arrived on the city’s outskirts amid continuing military movements around it.
The Houthis had cut days earlier a vital supply route linking Taiz and Aden, according to security sources and eyewitnesses. The disruption to supply routes for goods left the city’s residents facing severe shortages, alongside a sharp rise in prices. The Yemeni Ministry of Health warned in a statement issued on Saturday of an “imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe” in Taiz.
It said stocks of medicines, intravenous fluids, medical supplies and fuel at healthcare facilities inside the city were close to running out. Fighting around Taiz’s entrances dates back years. Government forces succeeded in breaking the siege imposed on the city in 2016, but the Houthis have since maintained positions around it. The latest advance is again placing supply routes and the city’s entrances under direct military pressure.
