Houthis continue to engage in ‘fierce battles’ in mountains near Aden, Taiz - report

BySETH J. FRANTZMANOCTOBER 30, 2026 15:50

The Houthis continue to attack Saudi Arabia and are also continuing to engage in “fierce battles” in Yemen. This is an important issue because any talks with Iran, which appear to be happening, will take the Houthis into account. Arab News in Saudi Arabia said on October 30 that the “Saudi-led coalition said on Friday it intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah region a drone fired by Yemen’s Houthis.”

According to the Saudis, “a drone launched by the terrorist Houthi militia has been intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah region.” The report noted that “the Iran-backed militia has for weeks targeted airports, energy infrastructure and cities across the Kingdom with drones and missiles.”

Now, Al-Ain media in the UAE also says that “dozens of government forces and Houthis were killed and wounded on Friday in fierce battles in Al-Maqatra district of Lahj, following a large-scale attack by the militias.”

Sources in Yemen told Al-Ain News that the Houthi militias launched a large-scale ground attack on government forces’ positions in Al-Maqatirah district, the northern gateway to Lahj, in an attempt to make progress on the ground and control key mountain ranges in the area.

This is an area in southern Yemen where the Houthis are fighting a tough and complex war against the Yemeni government and also other factions aligned with the government. Some of these factions were linked to the Southern Transitional Council, which had been backed by the UAE.

The UAE has excellent sources in this area.

“The sources confirmed that the Houthi militias aim, through the attack, to control the ‘Al-Muqatara Tunnel’ area and the strategically important Al-Muqatara mountain fortress, as well as to reach the Al-Rubu’ market located in the Heijah Al-Abd valley, where the main road linking Taiz and Aden is located.” The sources explained that the battles extended to the Haifan front, where the militias are trying to reach Mount An’an, which overlooks large areas between Haifan and Al-Maqatirah.

Events in Yemen could affect Iran, UAE, Qatar, US

This area appears to be only around 40 to 50 miles from Aden. This means the battles in these mountains, amid palm trees and scrub brush and steep terrain, could determine the next moves in Yemen. What happens here, could also matter in Tehran, Doha, Riyadh and Washington.

Let’s recall why the Houthis matters. The Iran-backed Houthis have emerged as one of the most important armed terrorist armies in the Middle East, using Yemen as a base to threaten Saudi Arabia, Israel and international shipping. The movement, also known as Ansar Allah, emerged from northern Yemen's Zaydi Shi'ite community and seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

In early 2015, Houthi forces advanced south toward Aden, forcing Yemen's internationally recognized government to flee. Saudi Arabia intervened in March 2015 at the head of an Arab coalition seeking to restore the government and prevent the Houthis from consolidating control over Yemen.

The war devastated the country but failed to defeat the Houthis. Iran's support helped the movement develop an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. These weapons enabled the Houthis to strike Saudi Arabia and eventually target Israel.

Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Houthis began launching missiles and drones toward Israel and attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Israel, the United States and Britain subsequently carried out strikes against Houthi targets. The Houthis resumed attacks on Israel during the 2026 conflict involving Iran.

Yemen's war escalated again in July 2026, when the Houthis renewed attacks on Saudi targets and shipping. In September, Houthi forces advanced along the Red Sea coast, capturing Mocha and reaching the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a vital route for international trade and energy shipments.

Fighting has also intensified around Taiz, where the Houthis have sought to threaten the road linking the city to Aden, the internationally recognized government's main base.

The renewed conflict illustrates how Yemen's civil war has become intertwined with the wider regional confrontation involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Control of territory around Bab al-Mandab gives the Houthis additional leverage over regional security and international commerce.

Al-Ain says that as the battles in the mountains have continued, “warplanes launched a series of raids on Houthi positions and gatherings to repel the militia's attack on Al-Maqatirah district in Lahj governorate.” Al-Ain concludes that “by attacking Al-Maqatirah, the Houthi militias are trying to reach Tur Al-Bahah district in Lahj, a coastal province that is the main gateway to the capital, Aden.”

Yemen has been witnessing fierce battles since the beginning of last September, following a large-scale, multi-pronged attack launched by the Houthis on areas of the western coast, Bab al-Mandab and Taiz, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.

Houthis lay seige to Taiz

The Houthis are also laying siege to the city of Taiz in the mountains. Arab News says that the Houthis are also facing growing international criticism over their detention of United Nations personnel and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city.

According to Arab News, the Houthis are holding 71 UN staff members, severely restricting the organization's ability to operate in areas under their control. “These actions render the delivery of humanitarian aid in areas under the control of the Houthis untenable at this time,” Shirin Yaseen, associate spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Arab News.

The reports indicate that the humanitarian situation has deteriorated further around Taiz, where more than 800,000 people have been cut off from essential supplies. The Houthis intensified their siege in early October after seizing the road connecting Taiz with Aden, the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government. According to the World Food Programme, approximately three-quarters of the affected population depend on humanitarian assistance. Taiz has faced varying degrees of Houthi siege since 2015.

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