Houthis Capture Strategic Taiz Centre as Yemen Government Launches Major Military Campaign

Yemen’s Houthi fighters have expanded their territorial control in southwestern Taiz province, capturing the strategic government-held centre of At Turbah as the internationally recognised government announced a major military campaign aimed at retaking areas under Houthi control.

A local security official said Houthi forces entered At Turbah without fighting after government troops withdrew from the city following battlefield setbacks. Government forces and allied fighters reportedly moved to mountainous positions outside the city, with some units retreating further south into neighbouring Lahj province.

Houthi fighters subsequently deployed at key locations and along the main roads into and out of At Turbah, according to the official.

Residents said fighters were visible across major streets and around public facilities, while several businesses shut ahead of their arrival. The Houthis also used mosque loudspeakers to call on residents not to resist, according to local accounts.

The takeover is significant as it marks the first time the Houthis have controlled At Turbah since Yemen’s conflict escalated in late 2014.

The latest advance followed earlier Houthi gains in the Ash Shamayatayn and Al-Ma’afer districts, where the group reportedly captured several strategic positions and forced government troops to withdraw.

The developments came as Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced from Riyadh that government forces were beginning a large-scale operation to recover territory held by the Houthis.

In a televised address, al-Alimi said the government was moving “from the preparation phase to the action phase” after weeks of military mobilisation.

The latest developments represent a significant shift after years in which Yemen’s major front lines had remained largely frozen.

The Houthis launched a major offensive in early September and have since expanded their presence across parts of Taiz and neighbouring Lahj. Their reported gains include the Red Sea port city of Mocha on September 10 and Mayyun Island, also known as Perim, the following day.

The advances have also heightened tensions around Yemen’s southwestern highlands overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a major maritime chokepoint.

Yemen’s war began in late 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.

A UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, although the conflict remained unresolved. The latest Houthi advances and the government’s decision to launch a new military campaign now mark one of the sharpest escalations in Yemen’s conflict in years.