Houthi forces (Ansar Allah) have fully encircled the city of Taizz and surrounded formations of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) near the town of Bani Tusuf, according to the Zioneer's Intelligence Desk. The source assesses that with Taizz effectively neutralized, Houthi forces are likely to advance south toward Aden, where fighting for Ala Sharjab is already underway.
Houthi forces (Ansar Allah) have fully encircled the southwestern city of Ta'izz and surrounded formations of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) near the town of Bani Tusuf, according to the assessment channel Geopolitical Watch (geopwatch) on Tuesday morning.
The development caps weeks of Houthi advances in southwestern Yemen. As The Zioneer reported on Sunday, October 4, Houthi forces had cut all major road corridors into Ta'izz and captured the strategic town of At Turbah along the Ta'izz–Aden highway. On Monday, October 5, the Saudi-led coalition announced Operation Dawn of Yemen, a large-scale air-and-ground offensive involving 100 fighter jets and the seizure of parts of the Dubab district overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Later that day, analyst Or Ben Yehezkel assessed that Houthi forces were attempting to encircle Ta'izz while Yemeni government forces massed near Bab el-Mandeb.
The Houthi movement, backed by Iran, has been pressing a multi-pronged campaign to seize territory in southwestern Yemen, threatening both the strategic city of Ta'izz and the Red Sea chokepoint of Bab el-Mandeb. The assessment that Ta'izz is now fully encircled, if confirmed, would mark a significant battlefield setback for the internationally recognized government. The report of PLC forces surrounded near Bani Tusuf adds to the pressure on the government’s position.
The Houthi claim of complete encirclement is based solely on the geopwatch assessment and has not been independently confirmed. The situation on the ground remains fluid, with the Saudi-led coalition conducting ongoing airstrikes and ground operations, and Houthi-affiliated sources denying significant territorial losses.
8 developments
- DevelopingSaudi air force strikes Houthi positions in western Ta'izz, AFP reports
- DevelopingPro-Saudi militias target Houthi positions near Ta'izz, southern Yemen, reports say
- StrongSunni_militias retake_tritory from Houthis in_Ta'izz,_push into_strongholds _analys says
- StrongSaudi Air Force carried out a wave of strikes on Houthi targets in Ta'izz, Yemen
Source and signal
- Open-source intake