File image.
Intense fighting erupted along the Jabal Dabbas front north of the city of Hays in the western Yemeni province of Hodeida on July 3 and 4, leaving dozens of fighters dead and wounded.
Walid al-Qudaimi, a minister of state and cabinet member aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said in a post to X that clashes broke out between the Al-Zaraniq Tihami Brigades and the Houthis (Ansar Allah).
According to Al-Qudaimi, more than 50 Houthi fighters were killed and dozens more wounded, while 15 government troops also died. However, AFP reported, citing medical sources, that hospitals in Hodeida received 16 dead and 22 wounded from government forces. Claims regarding Houthi casualties were not confirmed by any independent news agency.
An officer with the government-aligned forces in Jabal Dubas told AFP that the Houthis briefly seized government positions after launching the attack, before government-aligned forces mounted a counterattack.
“This was the deadliest Houthi attack in years,” the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
He said Houthi fighters used snipers, which caused most of the casualties, before firing drones and mortars at the positions.
Another military official told AFP that pro-government forces had repelled the Houthi attack in “clashes lasting several hours”.
He adds “fighting resulted in dead and wounded among (Houthi) ranks,” without specifying the number killed in the opposing force.
The fighting between the two sides has largely been frozen since a United Nations-negotiated ceasefire came into effect in 2022.
Last week, the Houthis threatened airports and vital assets belonging to Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Yemen’s Aden-based government. The group accused the kingdom of trying to stop an Iranian plane from landing.
In response, Saudi Arabia vowed to strike back “with unprecedented determination and force” to any attempt to target the kingdom or violate Yemen’s sovereignty.
The latest escalation also came amid rising tribal tensions in Yemen. Several tribes have rallied against the Houthis in recent weeks after a fraudster falsely claiming to be a secret daughter of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, named “Mira,” accused the group of stealing her properties. Saudi Arabia was accused of backing these tribes.
Taking all recent developments into account, the attack in Hodeida may be just the start of another round of fighting in Yemen, one that could mark the end of the ceasefire.
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