Fighting has intensified in Yemen as Houthi forces battle Saudi-backed government troops for control of strategic mountains overlooking the Red Sea, while thousands of civilians continue to flee their homes.
The latest clashes are centred on the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahj provinces. The area is strategically important because it overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Mayyun Island. Control of the mountains could allow the Houthis to cut off the Red Sea coast from areas still controlled by the Yemeni government.
The renewed fighting comes amid rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. It also follows reports that US President Donald Trump ordered planned air strikes against the Houthis on Sunday but cancelled them at the last minute.
According to The New York Times, the strikes were prepared after repeated requests from Saudi Arabia for US military involvement. However, the reported attacks were called off while American troops were preparing aircraft.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi accused the United States of considering a joint escalation with Saudi Arabia and warned Washington against further military involvement in Yemen.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces said they had attacked Houthi fighters and supply lines near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and in al-Bayda province. They also reported shooting down a Houthi drone in southwestern Taiz. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the battlefield claims.
The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 air attacks across several provinces on Monday, killing at least one civilian. The group also reported that another attack in Mocha killed six civilians, including two children and a woman. Saudi Arabia has not immediately commented on the allegations.
The World Health Organization said at least 674 people have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured since August 6, with 164 deaths and 516 injuries recorded between September 13 and 18 alone.
More than 158,000 people have been displaced this month, according to Yemen's Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps. Around 23,550 families have reportedly fled their homes across eight governorates, including Aden, Hodeidah and Taiz.
The escalating conflict is also worsening Yemen's food crisis. More than 18 million people, roughly half of the country's population, are already facing acute food insecurity.
The World Food Programme said tens of thousands of displaced people were arriving at overcrowded camps with little or nothing. Yemen imports about 90 percent of its food, meaning disruptions to ports and airports could further worsen food shortages.
The United Nations has warned that continued fighting could cause further suffering and destruction, while UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continues to engage with the parties involved in the conflict.
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