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Houthis capture strategic al-Turbah as Yemen war escalates

Yemen Houthis Suez alTurbah Saudi Arabia Bab al Mandeb Ansarallah tags :
Houthis capture strategic al-Turbah as Yemen war escalates
Houthi FPV drones and missiles «strike» Saudi Arabia's oil pipelines...

The war in Yemen, which had remained relatively contained following the UN-mediated truce in 2022, has suddenly reignited across multiple fronts.
Despite rapid frontline shifts and prevailing fog of war, the overall picture reflects a severe military escalation centered around the Taiz region and the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.
According to reports, Saudi Arabia has assembled forces and mercenary formations numbering around 100,000 personnel in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government, which nonetheless represents a minority of the population and holds limited independent authority.
Opposing them, Ansar Allah (Houthis) are estimated to field an active fighting strength approaching 400,000 combatants.
Concurrently, the Joint Defense Agreement of Mecca between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia was triggered.
Following Houthi strikes inside Saudi territory, the three nations agreed on the immediate provision of military capabilities for rapid deployment to the Kingdom.
However, defense analysts assess it is unlikely that Turkey or Pakistan will become actively engaged in ground combat operations, owing both to Saudi Arabia's decade-long inability to win the conflict and their desire to preserve diplomatic relations with Iran.

Escalation of operations

In any case, the Saudi-led coalition launched a wide-scale aerial campaign involving roughly 100 combat aircraft, targeting Houthi positions along the Red Sea coast as well as civilian infrastructure.

During the clashes, populated areas were bombarded, while serious skirmishes erupted along the shores of the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The Houthis replied immediately in two ways: deploying FPV loitering drones on the battlefield for the first time, and launching intense missile attacks against the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as well as against the country's East-West crude oil pipeline.

The situation surrounding the strategically critical port of Mocha remains disputed, with government forces claiming its recapture and the Houthis denying it, prompting acute concern for international shipping traversing the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The battle of Taiz

Taiz, the second-largest city in Yemen, is now under a state of total encirclement by the Houthis.
Despite Saudi close air support, Houthi forces advanced, liberating more than 2,000 square kilometers in the sector according to Al Mayadeen.
This push proved decisive:
Based on geolocated data from the Critical Threats Project and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Houthis captured the strategic hub of al-Turbah.

The loss of al-Turbah severed the primary highway link connecting Taiz with Aden (the temporary capital of the internationally recognized government).
This cutoff drastically restricts the resupply capacity of government troops inside Taiz, while simultaneously depriving pro-government forces of their main evacuation route.
Alongside territorial advances, the Houthis conducted targeted operations against government leadership figures:
Houthi fighters entered and occupied the residence of the Speaker of Parliament in Wadi al-Barakani (Al-Ma'afer district), south of Taiz, an event confirmed by regional media outlets (Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Al-Ain), Chinese news agency Xinhua, and open-source intelligence footage (@war_noir).

The Houthis also advanced into the al-Alum area, seizing the family estate of Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi, publishing videos showing celebratory fighters outside the compound.

 

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