After Fierce Battles, Yemeni Army Reopens Vital Lifeline to Taiz

Colonel Abdul Basit Al-Bahr, Deputy Head of the Guidance Division at the Taiz Axis, stated that Yemeni government forces have regained control of the Al-Misrakh district center in southern Taiz province, noting that battles are currently raging on three main fronts in the area.

Al-Bahr told "Asharq" that the priority for government forces is to reopen the road connecting Taiz city to Al-Turba, Lahj, and Aden, which has been cut off for five or six days. He expects control over the route to be restored soon.

He said that since the start of Houthi attacks and the launch of Operation "Dawn of Yemen," Taiz has been one of the most prominent battlefronts, pointing out that the group has deployed reinforcements of fighters, vehicles, and equipment to the governorate's fronts.

He added that the Houthi group mobilized its elements and reinforced its machinery and equipment, including strategic, cross-border, and heavy weapons not typically used in internal wars. He stated they used ballistic missiles and "weapons of mass destruction" against simple rural villages and areas.

Al-Bahr clarified that clashes are currently concentrated on the outskirts of Al-Misrakh district and the Al-Qaroud area, after stating that government forces expelled Houthi fighters from the district center.

He explained that the recapture of the Al-Misrakh center makes it the first district in southern Taiz where government forces have regained the center after Houthis entered during recent battles.

Fierce Battles
He continued that government forces fought "fierce battles" during the past 24 hours, liberating the Al-Misrakh district center, the security directorate, and overlooking hills. They are pursuing the "remnants" of the group toward the last point in Al-Qaroud towards the mountains and beyond.

Al-Bahr said government forces repelled several successive waves of Houthi attacks and destroyed heavy military equipment, despite the group supporting its forces with artillery fire, rocket launchers, tanks, and military vehicles.

The military official attributed the advance of government forces, according to his statement, to the cooperation of the "Popular Resistance" and local residents with them in confronting the Houthis.

Al-Bahr pointed to ongoing battles in Al-Mawast district, saying government forces thwarted a Houthi attempt to advance toward the "Arus" summit in Jabal Sabir, a strategic height overlooking large parts of Taiz city.

He described the confrontations in Jabal Habshi district as "violent," stating that government forces reorganized their ranks and fought continuous battles with the support of the "Popular Resistance" during the past hours, managing to expel Houthis from several sites overlooking the Al-Dhabab area.

He added that clashes continue in the heights of Jabal Habshi, expecting government forces to achieve further advances in the coming days.

Airstrikes
Al-Bahr said warplanes carried out "precise and focused strikes" on Houthi gatherings and positions in Same', Jabal Habshi, and other areas of Taiz, while government-affiliated drones targeted group gatherings around Jabal Han.

Al-Bahr did not specify who conducted the manned airstrikes, nor was "Asharq" able to independently verify the targeted locations or resulting casualties.

On the Al-Wazi'iyah front, Al-Bahr said government forces are achieving progress he described as slow, estimating that between 60 and 70% of the district and its mountain ranges are now under army control.

He added that government forces took control of the Kahboub mountain range, which he said has military importance due to its oversight of several areas and axes.

Al-Bahr described Al-Wazi'iyah district as a "governing and strategic" area for the fronts of southern Taiz and securing the coast, considering that completing control over it will reflect on the coastal fronts, southern Taiz, and southern Hodeidah.

He said the district's importance is linked to its location on axes leading toward Al-Khokha and Hodeidah, adding: "The goal is to launch from Hodeidah toward the capital Sana'a."

Al-Bahr did not set a timeframe for ending the battles, limiting himself to saying that confrontations continue and government forces are advancing.

Breaking the Siege on Taiz
Al-Bahr said the surroundings of Taiz city are witnessing confrontations on the eastern and northern fronts, coinciding with Houthi shelling of residential neighborhoods and military sites, along with infiltration attempts and attacks on government force positions.

He considered that the "most important strategic objective" for government forces is breaking the siege on Taiz city and its western and southern areas, and opening the vital road linking the city to Al-Turba then to Lahj and Aden provinces.

Al-Bahr mentioned that Houthis have imposed restrictions on roads and entrances leading to the city since the outbreak of war in 2015, considering that restoring the southern road would reconnect Taiz with southern provinces and alleviate pressures on population movement and supplies.

He noted that Taiz is one of the most densely populated Yemeni governorates, and also hosts, according to him, numbers of displaced persons from neighboring governorates, including Ibb and Hodeidah, in addition to Shabwa and Abyan.

Al-Bahr indicated that the southern road was the "only gateway and lifeline" for Taiz city, considering that field indicators suggest its imminent restoration, supported by Arab Coalition countries and Saudi Arabia.

On the humanitarian side, he said the city has suffered for days from shortages in cooking gas, hospital supplies, medical materials, water, flour, and other basic necessities, adding that government forces are trying to provide what they can to alleviate suffering, but the "radical solution" lies in reopening the main road toward Al-Turba, Lahj, and Aden.

The Deputy Head of the Guidance Division at the Taiz Axis said the balance of battles has changed since the launch of Operation "Dawn of Yemen," explaining that Houthis were advancing and controlling districts and sites before the operation began, while government forces, according to him, are now regaining areas lost during recent battles.

He added that the army moved "from defense to offense on many fronts," and that the armed forces and the "Popular Resistance" are at the highest levels of readiness.

Al-Bahr said air support and intensified sorties pave the way, according to his estimate, for a ground operation aimed at breaking the siege on Taiz and reopening the southern road.

Saudi Support
Al-Bahr praised the Saudi role, stating that the Kingdom provides support he described as "brotherly and sincere," which is not limited to the military aspect but extends to development, humanitarian work, economic, political, and relief fields.

Al-Bahr described Saudis as "makers of life for Taiz and Yemen generally," whether in government-controlled or Houthi-controlled areas, considering that Saudi support contributed to limiting the war's repercussions on the economy and basic services in the country.

In contrast, he described Iran and the Houthis as "enemies of life," accusing them of besieging civilians, shelling residential areas, blowing up homes, and depriving residents of medical supplies and basic needs.

Al-Bahr said government forces fully controlled Dhubab district and reached the outskirts of Al-Makha, noting that small groups remain entrenched inside homes and civilian facilities in some locations.

He added that government forces, represented by the Giants Brigades, are working to surround and besiege these pockets, stating they will deal with them either by forcing their elements to surrender or ending their presence militarily.

"Asharq" was unable to independently verify the developments in field control reported by Al-Bahr.