Pro-Saudi Forces Claim Dozens of Houthis Killed in South Yemen

Major fighting reported in recently seized Houthi territory

According to officials from the pro-Saudi Yemeni government, heavy fighting has erupted in the Dhalea Province of southern Yemen over the weekend. They claim that “dozens” of Houthis were slain, along with 13 pro-Saudi troops.

Details of what exactly is going on in Dhalea is unclear, beyond the typical claims that they’d killed more than they lost. The area where the fighting broke out was one where the Houthis had recently seized some sparsely guarded territory in the past week.

The offensive, which escalated particularly on Sunday, seems to have been intended to recapture the territory from the Houthis. It is unclear, however, as beyond the reports of a large death toll, there was no word of any territory changing hands over the weekend.

In Yemen’s far southwest, Dhalea is deep in Saudi-dominated territory, and it would be unusual for the Houthis, whose control mostly goes from Taiz north to the Saudi border, could contest and maintain territory this close to the interim Saudi-backed capital of Aden.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.