Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces claimed to have taken full control of strategic Mount Qarfan in the western governorate of Taiz. The site was seized during a war with Iran-aligned Houthi fighters with the assistance of local fighters on Tuesday, the Yemen Armed Forces Media Centre said in a statement. Major General Abdulaziz al-Majidi, the chief of staff for the Taiz military axis, stated that troops engaged in “fierce battles” with Houthi rebels, and claimed the lives of five Houthi fighters, wounding 20 and achieving the “restoration of control” of the mountain. By capturing Mount Qarfan, Yemen's government forces would gain a strong tactical advantage, commanding both firepower and surveillance over the valleys stretching between the ash-Shamaytaun and al-Waziiya districts in the southern Taiz governorate. The Houthis have not yet responded to the government's claim. These clashes are unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying fighting across Yemen, fuelled further by rising regional tensions stemming from the US-Israel conflict with Iran.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-heads-to-washington-for-trump-talks-trade-ai-taiwan-and-iran-on-the-agenda-1790164264702">Xi Jinping heads to Washington for Trump talks: Trade, AI, Taiwan and Iran on the agenda</a><h3>Houthis' control over Yemen's Red Sea coastline</h3>Earlier this month, the Houthis seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, including the port city of Mocha, and have since pushed to advance into the Kahboub Mountains spanning Taiz and Lahj governorates. Should they gain control of these strategically important heights, which overlook the Bab al-Mandeb strait and Mayyun Island in the Red Sea, the Houthis would be positioned to cut off the coast entirely from the remaining areas still under government control in the south.&nbsp;“The mountains are the natural wall that protects the Houthis’ rear on the coast. Controlling them would cut the coast off from the government-held south and place direct pressure on Lahj and, in the longer term, Aden,” Al Jazeera quoted Faozi Al-Goidi, a visiting fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs as saying.

The Houthis have not yet responded to the government's claim. These clashes are unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying fighting across Yemen, fuelled further by rising regional tensions stemming from the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces claimed to have taken full control of strategic Mount Qarfan in the western governorate of Taiz. The site was seized during a war with Iran-aligned Houthi fighters with the assistance of local fighters on Tuesday, the Yemen Armed Forces Media Centre said in a statement. Major General Abdulaziz al-Majidi, the chief of staff for the Taiz military axis, stated that troops engaged in “fierce battles” with Houthi rebels, and claimed the lives of five Houthi fighters, wounding 20 and achieving the “restoration of control” of the mountain. By capturing Mount Qarfan, Yemen's government forces would gain a strong tactical advantage, commanding both firepower and surveillance over the valleys stretching between the ash-Shamaytaun and al-Waziiya districts in the southern Taiz governorate. The Houthis have not yet responded to the government's claim. These clashes are unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying fighting across Yemen, fuelled further by rising regional tensions stemming from the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Also read: Xi Jinping heads to Washington for Trump talks: Trade, AI, Taiwan and Iran on the agenda Houthis' control over Yemen's Red Sea coastline Earlier this month, the Houthis seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, including the port city of Mocha, and have since pushed to advance into the Kahboub Mountains spanning Taiz and Lahj governorates. Should they gain control of these strategically important heights, which overlook the Bab al-Mandeb strait and Mayyun Island in the Red Sea, the Houthis would be positioned to cut off the coast entirely from the remaining areas still under government control in the south. “The mountains are the natural wall that protects the Houthis’ rear on the coast. Controlling them would cut the coast off from the government-held south and place direct pressure on Lahj and, in the longer term, Aden,” Al Jazeera quoted Faozi Al-Goidi, a visiting fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs as saying.

The Houthis have not yet responded to the government's claim. These clashes are unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying fighting across Yemen, fuelled further by rising regional tensions stemming from the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces claim full control of strategic 'Mount Qarfan' in Taiz

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Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces claim full control of strategic 'Mount Qarfan' in Taiz