Fighting against the Houthis resumed on the Bab Al-Mandab front on Monday, coinciding with fierce clashes in Lahj Governorate and advances by the Southern Giants Brigades in Al-Mudarabah and Ras Al-Arah district.
Meanwhile, government forces deployed military reinforcements to Al-Maqatirah district in northern Lahj to regain the initiative and recapture areas seized by the Houthis in recent days, while maintaining their positions on the front lines surrounding Taiz.
Clashes resumed on the Bab Al-Mandab front early Monday morning, with the Southern Giants Brigades taking part in military operations that resulted in the recapture of several positions and advances in contested areas, according to field sources. The fighting also left Houthi fighters dead and wounded.
The renewed battles coincided with continued clashes in Al-Mudarabah and Ras Al-Arah district in western Lahj, where the Giants Brigades regained control of strategic positions, including Jabal Safan and Qarn Al-Shamayah, while fighting continued in the Al-Majza and Zurayqat Al-Sham areas on the district's outskirts.
In a related development, the Southern Giants Brigades denied reports that their forces had withdrawn from Dhubab, Kahbub and their positions along the western coast.
Aseel Al-Saqaldi, director of the forces' media center, said their units remained deployed at their positions and would not withdraw under pressure from what he described as rumors and false claims.
Al-Saqaldi added that the forces' presence in Dhubab marked the beginning of a theater of operations that he said would extend as far as Saada, reaffirming their commitment to continuing the fight against the Houthis and pressing ahead with military operations.
Regaining the Initiative
In Al-Maqatirah district in northern Lahj Governorate, government forces deployed substantial reinforcements from the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield Forces.
The reinforcements took over the headquarters of the Tur Al-Bahah Military Axis Command and immediately joined the front lines against the Houthis, in a move aimed at recapturing areas seized by the group in recent days.
Field sources said government forces and the Popular Resistance had thwarted Houthi attempts to advance and seize additional territory, forcing the attackers to retreat after inflicting casualties and equipment losses.
The arrival of reinforcements is part of broader military efforts to regain the initiative in the district and prevent the Houthis from expanding their control over positions and high ground that have witnessed clashes in recent weeks.
Taiz: Government Forces Hold Their Ground
In Taiz Governorate, government forces and the Popular Resistance continued to repel Houthi attacks on the fronts surrounding the city, with fighting persisting along the southeastern axis.
Operations focused on thwarting Houthi movements and targeting the group's reinforcements and military positions.
The Taiz Military Axis Command reported that government forces, supported by military aircraft, carried out strikes against Houthi positions and concentrations in the Bardad area of Wadi Anqab on Jabal Sabr, destroying a military vehicle.
Other strikes targeted positions in Hisn Al-Mukhaaf and areas of Al-Misrakh district in the southern part of the governorate.
The command added that air defenses shot down two Houthi drones on the Sabr front as fighting continued across several sectors, with government forces maintaining their positions and preventing the group from making further breakthroughs.
Separately, local sources reported that Houthi fighters raided and forcibly seized the homes of government, political and community figures in Al-Shamayatayn district, south of Taiz.
According to the sources, the properties included the home of Water and Environment Minister Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi in the village of Sharjab, the home of former Baath Party leader Qasim Sallam, and the home of Brigadier General Abdulwahab Al-Sharjabi.
The incidents come amid an expanding Houthi presence in several districts of the governorate, raising concerns about further seizures of private property and the targeting of government officials, politicians and community figures.
Air Support and Military Operations
On the broader military front, the Yemeni army announced that it had carried out 1,272 targeting operations during the 24 hours preceding Sunday evening as part of Operation Fajr Yemen.
The operations targeted Houthi concentrations, reinforcements, fortifications, firing positions, vehicles and supply assets.
Colonel Majed Al-Nuzayli, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said the operations had weakened the group's capabilities, supported government advances and helped recapture positions in Al-Jawf Governorate.
He noted that operations were continuing on the northern fronts and in Marib and Al-Bayda, as well as on the southern and southwestern fronts.
Al-Nuzayli added that the operations had resulted in the neutralization of approximately 500 Houthi field commanders and fighters, along with the destruction or disabling of 169 vehicles, pieces of equipment and heavy weapons.
He reaffirmed that military operations would continue, with the necessary precautions taken to protect civilians and civilian objects.
