Saudi-backed Yemen Forces Claim Gains in Taiz Province

Forces aim to take main highway to Hodeidah

Pro-Saudi forces in Yemen are claiming “notable and sustained gains” in Yemen’s central Taiz province, claiming several days of fighting have led the Houthis to retreat from some areas.

Taiz was one of the first battlegrounds of Yemen’s war, with pro-Saudi forces attacking it from Aden, hoping to take the direct route northward to Sanaa. They failed, and fighting in Taiz has stalemated.

Sweeping through Taiz is no longer a realistic possibility, but the commanders are saying that they think they will soon take the main highway leading to the vital aid port of Hodeidah.

Predictions of gains are dangerous in the Yemen War, and if this side won half of the battles they said they would, the war would’ve been over years ago. Taiz may be less of a priority for the Houthis right now, but that could change rapidly, especially if it becomes tied to Hodeidah.

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.