Saudi state media said Saturday that Houthi shelling on the Heijah al-Abd Road linking Yemen’s southwestern city of Taiz with Aden killed civilians, but did not give a number.
The report did not immediately give details of the extent of the casualties or who was affected. The road is a key artery linking Taiz with more southerly locations, and has become strategically important as fighting has intensified between Houthi forces and the internationally recognised government of Yemen.
The shelling comes amid a broader escalation in western Yemen. In Taiz and neighboring Hodeidah province, Government forces and the Houthis have been engaged in fierce battles on several fronts since Thursday.
Yemeni government forces said Friday they had recaptured a strategic position in Jabal Habashi district west of Taiz as fighting continued on the Maqbanah and Al-Kadha fronts. As fighting spread across western Taiz, more than 900 families were uprooted in two days, according to local authorities.
Separately, Yemen’s army said its warplanes had carried out strikes against Houthi positions in western Taiz on Friday, the first reported use of government aircraft in the latest escalation.
On the reported shelling along the road, there was no immediate Houthi comment.
The latest fighting threatens to escalate Yemen’s conflict after a period of relative calm along many front lines since a UN-brokered truce in 2022.
