At least four civilians killed in Houthi missile strike near Yemen’s Taiz

The attack on a crowded road comes amid fierce clashes across Taiz and Hodeidah and rapid civilian displacement.

Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government ride in pick-up trucks along a road in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah, on September 5, 2026 [Khaled Ziad/AFP]

At least four civilians have been killed and nine others injured in a Houthi missile strike on a crowded road in southwestern Yemen, according to Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency.

The attack by the Iran-backed group on Saturday targeted a gathering of civilians along the strategic Heijah al-Abd road, south of Taiz city, Saba said, quoting local and medical sources, and comes amid heavy fighting across key front lines in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates.

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The escalation follows reports from Yemeni government forces that they have retaken several key positions on the Haifan front, also south of Taiz.

A military source from the 4th Hazm Brigade told Saba that government troops captured several strategic heights, including al-Wathra, Saeed Taha, Dhiban, al-Khadira, and al-Najdain.

Military officials said these positions overlook the al-Khazja market and cut off key Houthi supply lines running towards several fronts in the southern Taiz and northwestern Lahj governorates.

Push for the Red Sea

Reporting from the capital, Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry said intense battles are also unfolding in other parts of the country.

“The aim seems to be for the Houthis to push towards Bab al-Mandeb, and gain territory towards the city and Red Sea port city of al-Makha [Mocha],” Mawry said.

Military experts say control over the Red Sea coastline is a main goal for the Houthis, which requires securing ground across southern Hodeidah and western Taiz.

The Houthis controlled the port city of al-Makha, which overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, before being driven out in 2017 by government forces and Saudi-led coalition.

The rebel group declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July.

Government military officials confirmed that Houthi rebels have managed to make some advances of their own.

“In western Taiz, they’ve managed to take over a strategic military base, which is located on top of a strategic mountain and gives the Houthis an overview of the entire area,” Mawry reported.

He added that reinforcements from the government side are already on the way.

“The goal for government forces is not so much to gain territory, but to recapture the areas that have fallen under the control of the Houthis,” he said.

Humanitarian crisis unfolding

The sudden surge in violence has triggered yet another humanitarian crisis.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the renewed fighting has forced nearly 1,800 families to flee their homes in less than 48 hours.

Heavy shelling in the Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts of Taiz completely emptied several camps for displaced people. Most families have managed to move to safer spots within the same districts, while others fled to nearby areas.

Aid organisations have warned that some families remain trapped directly on the front lines and desperately need safe passage. Those who did escape are arriving with almost no food, shelter or basic supplies.

Relief efforts are facing significant hurdles as phone and internet networks remain cut off across the combat zones. Aid groups also warned that emergency stocks are “severely depleted”, leaving them with “limited capacity” to help those displaced.

在塔伊兹和荷台达爆发激烈冲突、平民迅速流离失所之际，发生了这起针对拥挤道路的袭击事件。

2026年9月5日，效忠也门沙特支持的政府的部队乘坐皮卡车沿着荷台达以南海斯区的一条道路行驶。[Khaled Ziad/AFP]

据也门官方萨巴通讯社报道，胡塞武装向也门西南部一条拥挤的道路发射导弹，造成至少四名平民死亡，另有九人受伤。

萨巴通讯社援引当地和医疗消息人士的话称，周六，伊朗支持的武装组织袭击了位于塔伊兹市以南战略要道希贾阿卜德路沿线的一群平民。与此同时，塔伊兹省和荷台达省的关键前线正在发生激烈战斗。

卡塔尔从惠誉负面观察名单中移除，原因是其液化天然气项目风险有所缓解（名单1/3）。

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列表 3/3：美国特使访问莫斯科期间，俄罗斯袭击乌克兰，至少 5 人死亡

此前有也门政府军报告称，他们已经重新夺回了位于塔伊兹以南海凡前线的几个关键阵地，局势因此升级。

第四哈兹姆旅的一名军方消息人士告诉萨巴通讯社，政府军占领了几个战略高地，包括瓦特拉、赛义德塔哈、迪班、哈迪拉和纳吉丹。

军方官员表示，这些阵地俯瞰着哈兹贾市场，切断了胡塞武装通往南部塔伊兹省和西北部拉赫季省多个前线的关键补给线。

向红海进发

半岛电视台记者优素福·马乌里从首都萨那报道称，该国其他地区也正在发生激烈战斗。

“胡塞武装的目标似乎是向曼德海峡推进，并夺取靠近摩卡市和红海港口城市的领土，”马乌里说。

军事专家表示，控制红海沿岸是胡塞武装的主要目标，这需要控制荷台达南部和塔伊兹西部的领土。

胡塞武装曾控制着俯瞰连接红海和亚丁湾的曼德海峡的港口城市麦加，但在 2017 年被政府军和沙特领导的联军驱逐。

该反叛组织于7月宣布对沙特阿拉伯实施海上封锁。

政府军方官员证实，胡塞武装也取得了一些进展。

“在塔伊兹西部，他们已经占领了一个战略军事基地，该基地位于一座战略山顶上，使胡塞武装能够俯瞰整个地区，”马乌里报道说。

他还补充说，政府方面的增援部队已经在路上了。

他说：“政府军的目标与其说是夺取领土，不如说是夺回被胡塞武装控制的地区。”

人道主义危机正在蔓延

暴力事件的突然激增引发了另一场人道主义危机。

联合国人道主义事务协调厅（OCHA）表示，重新爆发的战斗迫使近 1800 个家庭在不到 48 小时内逃离家园。

塔伊兹省马格巴纳和贾巴尔哈巴什地区遭到猛烈炮击，多个难民营被夷为平地。大多数家庭设法转移到本地区内较为安全的地方，而其他人则逃往附近地区。

援助组织警告说，一些家庭仍然被困在前线，急需安全通道。那些成功逃离的人抵达目的地时几乎没有食物、住所或基本生活用品。

由于战区电话和互联网网络仍然中断，救援工作面临重重阻碍。援助组织也警告称，紧急物资储备“严重耗尽”，导致他们帮助流离失所者的“能力有限”。