Yemen government counter-offensive kills about 270 as fighting rages around Taiz

Yemen's internationally recognised government has launched a counter-offensive against Houthi forces, with about 270 people killed in the first 24 hours of fighting, according to reports. The violence has centred on Taiz, Yemen's third largest city, where government troops are trying to stop an advance by the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis recently seized the Red Sea port of Mokha and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. That has changed the battle for Taiz. The city sits between Houthi-controlled territory in the north and government-held areas in the south. If Taiz falls, the Houthis would tighten their hold on the western coast and the Strait, a vital global trade route. The government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, controls about 70 per cent of Yemen, but the Houthis hold the most populated and strategically important third.

Saudi-led airstrikes have hit Houthi targets near Sana'a. In response, the Houthis say they fired missiles and drones at Saudi oil infrastructure, including the state-run Aramco refinery near Riyadh airport. The Saudi coalition dismissed those strikes as misleading. The Houthis now have ballistic missiles that can reach Riyadh and hit oil targets, while Saudi airstrikes have not stopped their advance.

Yemen's president addressed the nation and announced a major military operation. He said it was a battle for citizens, for the recovery of institutions, for correcting past mistakes, and to prevent the country's political future being taken by force. A Yemeni analyst said the announcement made clear that mediation and pathways to a political resolution were over, and that Yemen was officially back in civil war. Another specialist said the Houthis had encircled and blockaded Taiz for years, cutting aid and humanitarian access, and that Iran had aided them through drone coordination and by intercepting communications.

On the ground, the human cost is severe. More than 100,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting. Many have gone to camps such as Al Muneh, about 20 kilometres from the front line. In just 10 days, 200 families arrived at one camp. Most had been displaced before. One woman, Fatima, took two days to reach the camp from Mokha. As fighting closed in, her sons left her behind to save their children.

Hospitals are overwhelmed. One hospital received 24 casualties in 24 hours. A 12-year-old girl was brought in after being hit by shrapnel. A woman, Rana, was at home when a mortar hit; she lies alone. In another report, a car packed with children came under attack as a family fled. A young woman, Lunan, had her left arm almost entirely severed. Eight other children were in the vehicle. All survived, but several toddlers were wounded. Her seven-year-old brother was shot in the back, and a six-year-old cousin needed surgery to remove shrapnel. Their mother is still trapped in their home village, now under Houthi control.

The war is also affecting children's education. In Taiz, children go to school within sight of Houthi snipers. The school perimeter borders a no-man's land, and fighting often reaches the fence line. A maths teacher also acts as the school's security guard. From the rooftop, the school's exposure is clear. While reporters were there, four people were shot by snipers in 24 hours. An 11-year-old boy, Amjad, was fighting for his life. A three-year-old boy was killed in the same attack. Bullet holes and shrapnel damage mark the streets.

In the city, government troops are exhausted and nervous. Some have been injured, seen friends killed, or endured night ambushes. Soldiers told reporters they had fled the fighting, saying they were given only a Kalashnikov and 20 bullets. Families are leaving with whatever they can carry, unsure where to go. Funerals are held under fire, and top commanders are among the dead. The Houthis hold the north of the city and have banned Western media from the side they control. They accused Saudi forces and the government they support of bombing civilian areas such as a market.

The pressure on Taiz has grown. Reports said government defence lines around the city were collapsing, and hours after journalists left on the only route still open, the Houthis sealed off the city. Hospitals lack basic medicines and supplies. Malnutrition has risen among mothers and babies, leading to a spike in seriously underweight and premature births. One nurse said up to four babies are turned away each day because incubators are full. A premature baby, Rafaf, was carried across the battlefield by her father to give her a chance of life. Her father is back in the combat zone with her mother and five siblings, and it is not known when they will be reunited.

The Houthis, once described as a ragtag desert army, are now backed by Russia and China and control a key pipeline used to ship Saudi oil, according to one report. They are trying to consolidate their gains. Government forces have launched a major offensive to retake territory along the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The fighting has sent ripples across the world because of its impact on fuel prices, but the human cost remains ongoing and devastating. Taiz is surrounded by war, but its people refuse to be defeated by it.