Yemeni War: 749 Operations Reported as Taiz Siege Tightens

Majid al-Nazili, the spokesman for Yemeni government forces, announced on Thursday that his troops executed 749 military operations over the preceding 24 hours. He stated that these actions resulted in the death or injury of 239 Houthi militants and the destruction of 117 vehicles and armored units. The offensive aims to break the Houthi siege of Taiz, a strategic city in southwestern Yemen.

The fighting has intensified across multiple fronts south of Taiz. Government-affiliated media reported active combat on the Al-Aqroudh and Al-Masrakh fronts, as well as in Al-Rahn village within the Sabir al-Mawadim district. On Sunday, Houthi forces advanced on Jabal Sabr, a mountain overlooking the city that has become a central point of contention between the Iran-backed group and Saudi-backed government troops.

Hostilities have also spread to the Red Sea coast. Houthi-affiliated outlets reported four air strikes against the city of Mocha and its port, located west of Taiz. In response, a military source told Al Jazeera that government forces conducted three air strikes against Houthi positions and vehicles southeast of Taiz, targeting movements on the Al-Aqroud front.

The escalation has disrupted daily life and logistics. Flights resumed at Aden international airport on Thursday after a suspension that began on Wednesday. The pause followed reports that a missile landed on Al-Nasr Camp, a site adjacent to the airport housing Yemeni coastguard and interior ministry headquarters. Meanwhile, the Houthi group reported more than 100 air strikes against the capital, Sanaa, and eight other governorates within the last day.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that time is running out to deliver aid to 800,000 people trapped inside Taiz. The agency noted that humanitarian access has deteriorated over the past three weeks due to damage to a key road linking Taiz to southern governorates. Aid convoys are now forced to use narrow mountain routes to reach the city.

Since the beginning of August, the conflict has displaced more than 281,000 people, according to UN data. The current surge in violence follows the Houthis seizing strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month. That move triggered a counteroffensive and led Saudi Arabia to intensify its strikes on the group.

OCHA called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and allow safe, sustained, and unimpeded access for aid. The agency specifically urged fighters to avoid targeting civilians and aid convoys as the humanitarian situation continues to spiral.