Medical sources in Taiz reported that 22 civilians were slain and an undisclosed number of others were wounded in rocket fire around the city, which is one of several major fronts for the ongoing Saudi war against the Shi’ite Houthis in Yemen.
Details are still scant on the incident, though a pro-Saudi military official claimed that all of the civilians were slain by rockets fired by the Houthis. The toll in the city and surrounding area has been mounting for awhile, and both sides have regularly exchanged fire around residential zones.
Though the Houthis, like the Saudis, regularly fire into residential areas held by the other side, the overwhelming number of civilians killed in the war have been slain in Saudi airstrikes. The quick attribution of this incident to the Houthis is likely an effort by the Saudis to shift the narrative.
Taiz is seen as a valuable target for both sides because, as Yemen’s third largest city, it lies along the highway between the Houthi capital of Sanaa and the pro-Saudi capital of Aden. So far, neither side has been able to seize full control over the area.