Fighting intensifies on Taiz outskirts as Yemeni government repels Houthi attack

On 21 October, Yemeni government forces and allied Popular Resistance fighters engaged in heavy fighting with Houthi fighters on the western outskirts of Taiz, near the city’s old airport and Jabal Han mountain.

The internationally recognised government announced that its forces repelled the Houthi attack and conducted air strikes targeting Houthi positions, vehicles, and a missile launchpad to the west, south, and east of the city. These claims have not been independently verified.

Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, is under increasing pressure from Houthi forces, who have largely encircled it and cut off key supply routes, including the main road to Aden, the interim capital of the internationally recognised government.

The siege has disrupted access to the city’s main landfill, causing rubbish to accumulate along major streets. Sanitation workers, unable to reach the dumping site due to clashes, have resorted to burning waste in the streets, producing thick smoke over neighbourhoods.

Fuel shortages have also affected water pumps, hospitals, and waste collection services, raising fears of disease outbreaks. Residents express desperation, stating, “If we don’t die from Houthi shelling, we’ll die from this rubbish.”