Fresh Yemen clashes kill more than 60: military, medical sources

On Saturday, clashes between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels resulted in over 60 fatalities, including civilians, according to medical and military sources. The renewed violence occurred in Yemen's southwest, where the battle for a key gateway to the Red Sea intensified. Yemeni military sources reported 26 government troops killed during several hours of fighting, while Houthi sources claimed 31 rebel fighters were killed.

Additionally, a civilian bus carrying six people was struck by a missile, killing all six and wounding seven others, as reported by a medical source in the government-controlled city of Taiz. The government accused the Houthis of launching the missile strike. Taiz military officials warned that the "coming hours will be decisive" as the Houthis seized positions near the city the previous day.

They also noted that reinforcements were arriving from Aden to counter the Houthi offensive, which aimed to isolate the government-held port city of Mokha and advance towards the Bab al-Mandeb strait. On Friday, the fighting claimed 129 lives, according to AFP. The Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint's strategic importance as a route for Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports has heightened since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial ships.

Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Yemen's government, carried out three airstrikes targeting positions recently seized by the Houthis in Taiz, as confirmed by a military official. The resurgence of violence between the Houthis and government troops supported by US ally Saudi Arabia marks the emergence of a new front in the broader Middle East conflict, which erupted in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The Houthis have also imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, targeting its ships and territory.