ADEN — Yemen's Houthi movement killed at least 16 government-aligned troops in a major assault south of the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, medical officials and military sources said on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest clashes between the two sides in recent years.
Two medical officials told AFP that hospitals along the western coast received the bodies of 16 pro-government soldiers and treated about 22 wounded after the fighting in the Jabal Dubas area of Hays district. The casualty figures were confirmed by multiple officials familiar with the aftermath of the battle.
A military officer aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government said the clashes began late on Friday when Houthi fighters launched an attack using snipers before following up with drones and mortar fire. According to the officer, the rebels briefly captured several government positions before government forces mounted a counteroffensive and retook the sites by dawn on Saturday.
Another government military official said pro-government forces ultimately repelled the assault after hours of fighting. The official added that Houthi forces also suffered casualties but did not provide figures. The Houthi movement had not publicly commented on the reported losses or the government's account of the battle.
Walid al-Qudaimi, a minister of state in Yemen's internationally recognised government, said the troops were killed while defending positions on the country's western coast. In a statement posted on social media, he paid tribute to the soldiers but did not provide additional operational details.
The fighting occurred south of Hodeidah, a key port city under Houthi control on Yemen's Red Sea coast. The area has remained strategically important despite a relative reduction in large-scale ground combat since a United Nations-brokered truce took effect in 2022. Although the ceasefire formally expired, front lines have remained largely static, with intermittent clashes continuing in several regions.
The latest violence followed renewed tensions after the Houthis issued threats against airports and other infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government. The conflict, which has pitted the Iran-aligned Houthis against government forces since 2015, continues despite repeated international efforts to revive a nationwide political settlement.
No independent authority has verified the full sequence of events described by the military officials, and no further official casualty updates had been announced by late Sunday.
