DUBAI, Oct 2 — Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi-backed forces fought over an area located not far from a waterway that is crucial to global energy flows, killing 80 combatants over the past day, sources on both sides told AFP on Friday.
Fighting in Taiz has raged since the Iran-backed Houthis began a lightning offensive against the internationally-recognised, Saudi-backed government.
In their offensive, the Houthis also took control of the whole of the Red Sea coast, notably the area around the Bab al-Mandab strait, which is crucial not just for Saudi energy exports but for global shipping as a whole.
According to Houthi military sources, at least 55 anti-government fighters have been killed over the past 24 hours in fighting against government troops in the Taiz area.
