Government-aligned forces repel Houthi attack in Lahj as 340,000 are displaced

Government-aligned forces reported on Saturday that they successfully "repelled a Houthi attack in the Al-Mudharaba district" in the southwestern province of Lahj. The Giants Brigades, a government-aligned group, shared a video on Facebook which they stated showed Houthi fighters fleeing following the engagement.

The military action occurs as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stated on Friday that the continuing military escalation has displaced more than 340,000 people since August.

Simultaneously, the government-run Saba News Agency reported that warplanes conducted airstrikes against Houthi reinforcements in Wadi al-Sahya, located in the Al-Shamayatayn district of the neighboring Taiz province. The agency provided no further details on the strikes, and the Houthis offered no immediate comment.

The Saba News Agency also reported that Yemeni emergency forces "seized a large shipment of drone components" that was "on its way to the Houthi militia." The agency aired footage of the seizure but did not provide a specific location or time for the operation.

The current fighting is part of Operation “Dawn of Yemen,” which was launched on October 5. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, stated the operation aims to recapture the capital Sanaa and restore state institutions from Houthi control while protecting civilians and infrastructure.

Fighting between government forces and the Houthis has intensified since July, specifically in the Taiz province. This escalation marks an end to a period of relative calm that began in April 2022 and has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

The Houthis now control most of the Taiz province, as government forces have lost ground in rural and coastal areas, with some areas remaining contested. According to an Anadolu correspondent, the Houthis have advanced in recent weeks into rural and coastal areas of Al-Mokha, Al-Shamayatayn, Al-Ma’afer, Jabal Habashi and Al-Wazi’iyah. Government forces still control the city of Taiz and other parts of the province.