Yemen / Anadolu

Clashes renewed on Sunday between forces loyal to the Yemeni government and the Houthi group in the strategic Hodeidah province in western Yemen.

This came in a statement by the military media of the National Resistance forces led by Presidential Leadership Council member Tariq Saleh.

The statement explained that the National Resistance forces fought clashes on Sunday with the Houthis following their movements towards Jabal Dhubas south of Hodeidah.

It added that "movements of the militia backed by the Iranian regime were observed in front of the 14th Infantry Brigade sector in Jabal Dhubas, and were promptly dealt with firmly."

It pointed out that "forces of the 14th Infantry Brigade of the First Division of the National Resistance clashed with the terrorist Houthi militia, forcing them to flee and return to where they came from, after suffering direct injuries in their ranks," without details.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis regarding these confrontations.

On July 5, the Yemeni government announced the killing of 15 of its soldiers and 50 Houthi group militants in violent confrontations south of Hodeidah, the fiercest battles between the two sides since 2022.

These confrontations come amid ongoing escalation between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group, with sharp mutual messages regarding the future of the crisis between the two sides. While the Presidential Leadership Council stressed on Friday that "it is time for a decisive move to restore state institutions from the Houthi group," the latter mobilized thousands of its supporters in demonstrations declaring alertness, and also threatened open options, announcing that readiness had been raised days ago.

On Monday, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, Turki al-Maliki, announced that "air defenses dealt with a threat from ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards the southern region," without providing further details. This represents the first Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia since the start of the truce in Yemen in 2022, according to Anadolu Agency monitoring. The attack came hours after the Yemeni Defense Ministry announced targeting the runway of Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, while the Houthi group considered this development as meaning "the end of de-escalation" in place in the country for years, and threatened that the targeting "will not pass without response and punishment."

Earlier, the Yemeni authorities on July 3, 2026, condemned Iran sending a plane belonging to "Mahan Air" to Sanaa, saying its purpose was to transport a Houthi delegation from Sanaa to Tehran. This is the first announced Iranian flight to Sanaa airport in about 10 years, according to Yemeni media.