Yemen Clashes Kill 60+ as Houthis Push Toward Bab al-Mandab — SkimNews
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- Fighting between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed more than 60 people on September 5, 2026, including 26 government troops in the southwest and 31 Houthi fighters, per AFP military and medical sources.
- Houthi strikes inside Saudi Arabia wounded 73 people according to the Riyadh-led coalition, as the rebels announced a maritime blockade and began targeting Saudi ships and territory.
- A missile strike killed six civilians and wounded seven others on a bus traveling between Taiz and Aden, Yemen's internationally recognized government seat; a government official blamed the Houthis.
- Houthis seized positions near Taiz and advanced toward areas bordering the Bab al-Mandab strait, aiming to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha, which has been under fire for weeks.
- Saudi Arabia carried out three airstrikes on Saturday targeting Houthi positions recently captured in Taiz, while reinforcements arrived from Aden, where the government is based.
- Friday's fighting (September 4) killed 129 people according to an AFP tally compiled from several sources—making it the deadliest single day in the current escalation.
- The Bab al-Mandab chokepoint has gained importance as a transit route for Saudi crude now that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial ships.
Why it matters: With 129 killed on Friday alone and the July truce already shattered, Aden is losing ground in Taiz while Saudi Arabia absorbs direct rebel strikes on its territory—73 in one day—plus a declared maritime blockade. The Houthis' push toward Bab al-Mandab now matters even more because Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has made that strait a critical alternative oil route for Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter.
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