Key facts
- More than 60 people, including civilians, were killed in clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels.
- The fighting occurred during a Houthi offensive on Yemen's western coast, with significant casualties on both sides.
- A missile strike in Taiz killed six civilians traveling by bus.
- The recent clashes are among the deadliest in years, following the collapse of a ceasefire in July.
- The Houthi offensive targets strategic areas near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital maritime chokepoint.
Intense ground fighting between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebel movement has resulted in over 60 deaths, including civilians, as the Houthis press an offensive along the country's western coast. Medical and military sources reported 26 government troops and 31 Houthi fighters killed on Saturday, with an additional six civilians dying in a missile strike in Taiz. The current clashes are some of the deadliest in years, following the collapse of a ceasefire in July. The Houthis are attempting to capture strategic hills overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical maritime chokepoint for global trade, to advance towards port cities. Government forces claimed to have recaptured key hills west of Taiz. The ongoing civil war, which began in 2014, has led to an estimated 150,000 deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis.