12.11.2026 10:35
In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthis claimed to have broken through the defense lines of Saudi Arabia-backed government forces in Lahij Governorate in the southwest of the country. In published footage, it was alleged that government forces withdrew from the southern coastal areas. The government side, meanwhile, announced that it had maintained its positions.
Clashes continue between the Houthis and government forces in Lahij province, which opens onto Yemen’s temporary capital, Aden. The parties are making contradictory statements about the situation on the front line.
"WE BROKE THE DEFENSE LINES"
Media outlets close to the Houthis claimed that after the group’s advance on the southern fronts, it seized the government forces’ defense lines and positions. Houthi media, which described government forces as “Saudi mercenaries,” claimed that shared footage showed these forces fleeing hurriedly from the southern coastal areas.
Abdulqader al-Murtada, head of the Houthis’ Prisoners Committee, also claimed in a post on his social media account that dozens of soldiers from the government-affiliated Amalika and Homeland Shield forces surrendered with their equipment on the Mudaraba front.
GOVERNMENT SIDE: WE ARE HOLDING OUR POSITIONS
The government side painted a different picture. The media officer of the Amalika Brigades announced that its forces remained fixed in their positions in Mudaraba and repelled Houthi attacks north of Zubab Airport and in Kahbub. Field sources close to the government also claimed that the Houthis suffered dozens of dead and wounded on the Mudaraba and Ras al-Ara front.
The government-affiliated Homeland Shield Forces announced a few days ago that they had carried out a large-scale attack on Houthi positions on Lahij’s Muhawala front and that the Houthis had suffered heavy losses.
CLASHES INTENSIFIED IN MUDARABA
According to a Yemen Monitor report based on field sources, the clashes are concentrated in Lahij’s Mudaraba and Ras al-Ara districts. It was reported that the Houthis advanced in the Hurz area, while government forces sent reinforcements from the Amalika and Homeland Shield forces to the Majza area. Some local sources claimed that the Houthis reached near the Mudaraba district center with intensive missile support. However, this information was not confirmed by official sources.
According to a report in Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, the Houthis made progress in the village of Majza, affiliated with Mudaraba, after clashes with government forces earlier this week. Yemen Monitor had previously reported that government forces regained the hills in Majza and Shatt, which they had briefly lost, with reinforcement units.
THE HOUTHIS’ TARGET: THE BAB AL-MANDAB SUPPLY LINE
According to military sources, the Houthis are sending large reinforcements to the area to cut the supply line of government forces at Bab al-Mandab and Zubab Airport. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari also claimed in a statement on November 10 that they had targeted gathering points of government forces in Mudaraba and Ras al-Ara with ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones.
Clashes also continue on the Mukatira front north of Lahij. According to a Reuters report on November 2, the Houthis had captured Mukatira district and advanced to within about 80 kilometers of Aden. Sources close to the government, however, claim they have regained some points on the Tur al-Baha line.
WHY IS LAHIJ STRATEGIC?
Lahij province surrounds the temporary capital, Aden, from the north and west and lies on the main routes providing the city’s road connection with other provinces. Its proximity to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden also gives it critical military importance. While most of the province is under the control of government forces, the Houthis maintain a presence in parts of the Mudaraba, Qubayta, and Mukatira districts.
According to Al Jazeera’s assessment, the expansion of clashes in Lahij raises the question of whether the Houthis aim to open a road to Aden or to strengthen their control over the hills and passes extending to Bab al-Mandab.
MISSILE ATTACK ON HEALTH CENTER
Civilians are also being targeted in the clashes in the region. According to a report by Saba TV, affiliated with the Yemeni government, at the beginning of this month, the Houthis carried out a missile attack on the Al-Suqya Health Center in Lahij’s Mudaraba district. At least 20 civilians were reported killed or wounded in the attack. The Houthis did not comment on the attack.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The ceasefire in Yemen that had been in place since 2022 collapsed in September and October as tensions in the region escalated. In September, the Houthis seized the last coastal towns around Bab al-Mandab in a rapid advance along the Red Sea coast. The government, in turn, launched a counteroffensive called “Dawn of Yemen” to retake lost territory.
The Houthis launched a large-scale attack on government positions in Mukatira, north of Lahij, on October 30. The Houthis’ attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia in October led the Saudi-led coalition to increase airstrikes on Houthi positions. According to UN reports, thousands of people were killed or wounded and more than 250,000 displaced in the renewed clashes.