Yemen Government Forces Claim Capture of Strategic Mount Qarfan in Taiz

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces have claimed full control of the strategic Mount Qarfan in Taiz Governorate following fierce clashes with Houthi fighters.

The Yemen Armed Forces Media Center said government troops, supported by local fighters, captured the mountain on Tuesday after intense fighting in the area.

Major General Abdulaziz al-Majidi, chief of staff of the Taiz military axis, said the clashes resulted in the deaths of five Houthi fighters, while another 20 were wounded.

According to al-Majidi, the operation resulted in the “restoration of control” over Mount Qarfan, which occupies a strategically important position overlooking valleys between the ash-Shamaytaun and al-Waziiya districts in southern Taiz.

Control of the mountain is expected to provide government forces with an advantageous position for surveillance and fire operations across the surrounding areas.

The Houthis have not immediately commented on the government forces’ claim.

The latest fighting comes amid renewed military tensions in Yemen and wider instability in the region.

The Houthis, who have expanded their control along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the port of Mocha, have reportedly been seeking to advance towards the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and neighbouring Lahj Governorate.

The mountainous area is strategically important because it overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Mayyun Island in the Red Sea. Control of the highlands could potentially give either side greater influence over routes linking the Red Sea coast with territory further south.

Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the Houthis could be seeking control of the mountains to strengthen their defensive position around their coastal areas.

Faozi Al-Goidi, a visiting fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, said the mountains serve as a natural defensive barrier protecting Houthi positions along the coast.

He said control of the area could put pressure on government-held territory in Lahj and, potentially, Aden.

Meanwhile, fighting has continued in several parts of Yemen.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Tuesday that Houthi forces had shot down a reconnaissance drone over Mocha in Taiz Governorate.

He also claimed that Saudi aircraft conducted 19 air strikes during the previous 24 hours, targeting locations in Taiz, al-Jawf and Marib governorates.

The government-aligned Yemeni News Agency separately reported that Houthi forces shelled residential areas in central Taiz, damaging homes.

The World Health Organization said 674 people had been killed and nearly 3,000 others injured in renewed fighting since August 6. It said 164 deaths and 516 injuries were recorded between September 13 and 18 alone.

The escalating violence has also worsened Yemen’s displacement crisis.

Yemen’s Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps said more than 158,000 people had been displaced during September.

Ibrahim Al-Huri, an assistant professor at the University of Saba Region, said civilians were bearing the heaviest consequences of the conflict.

He said thousands of people had crossed the sea towards Djibouti and Somalia in search of safety, often using unsafe boats and risking their lives.

Al-Huri added that many displaced families had lost their homes, farms and sources of income and were now living in overcrowded camps where access to food, clean water, sanitation and medical services remained difficult.

The latest battle for Mount Qarfan highlights the continuing struggle for strategic high ground in western Yemen, where control of mountain positions can influence access to the Red Sea coast and key transport routes.

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