Shafaq News- Aden/ Sanaa
Fighting intensified across western Yemen and around the strategic Bab Al-Mandeb Strait on Friday, with government-aligned forces reporting fresh strikes and drone interceptions as the conflict raised risks to civilians, shipping, and regional trade.
The Giants Brigades announced that its forces shot down a Houthi (Ansarallah) “Rujoum” drone near Kahboub, overlooking Bab Al-Mandeb, before it reached its target. The group also claimed to have struck Houthi vehicles and troop concentrations on the Kahboub and Al-Waziya fronts, destroying four vehicles and inflicting casualties. Yemeni government forces separately reported that warplanes struck Houthi positions near Jawlat Al-Qasr in eastern Taiz.
In western Taiz, three children were killed in shelling of Al-Tarira village in Al-Waziya district, according to Yemen’s government-run Saba news agency, citing local sources who blamed Houthi forces.
The local authority in Al-Hodeidah, aligned with the internationally recognized government, also accused Houthi forces of looting and damaging medical and relief facilities in Al-Khokha district and other parts of the western coast, including clinics, food and shelter warehouses, and a water-supply project, threatening “aid and basic services” for thousands of civilians and displaced people.
Meanwhile, Houthi-run Al-Masirah reported that two women were wounded by Saudi artillery fire on farms and homes in Razih district of Saada province.
Houthi supporters also staged rallies backing continued confrontation with Saudi Arabia and rejecting Riyadh’s accusation that the group had targeted Mecca. A statement issued by the rallies reaffirmed support for what it called a policy of “blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation” and reserved the right to respond.
Read more: Houthi gains raise pressure near Bab el-Mandeb
Citing the UN’s International Organization for Migration, Reuters reported earlier Friday that at least 112,000 people had been displaced inside Yemen and nearly 3,000 had fled by sea to Djibouti as fighting intensified along the Red Sea coast.
Maritime security concerns have risen alongside the clashes. At a press conference, Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition commander Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri announced that representatives from 41 countries had attended its latest planning meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the grouping moved toward operational deployment after reaching initial operational capability.
Industry publication The Insurer further reported that marine war insurance for vessels transiting Bab Al-Mandeb remained around 3%, while “political violence and terrorism rates” were nearing 10% for the most critical Saudi risks. Lloyd’s has estimated about $1.88 billion in losses tied to the wider Middle East conflict.