Saudi airstrikes on Yemen's Taiz cause dozens of casualties: Houthis

Saudi airstrikes targeted a market and military positions in the Houthi-controlled outskirts of Taiz in southwest Yemen, causing dozens of casualties and sparking retaliatory threats from the Iran-aligned group amid intensified regional fighting.

How did the Saudi airstrikes unfold in Taiz?

According to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree and state-run Al-Masirah TV, two Saudi air raids struck a busy market on the outskirts of Taiz city on Sunday, September 27, 2026. Houthi officials initially reported at least seven people killed and 40 injured—including five children—before subsequent Houthi military sources confirmed that total casualties included nearly 30 Houthi fighters and eight civilians.

Footage broadcast by Al-Masirah showed destroyed commercial warehouses, shattered storefronts, and damaged civilian vehicles covered in thick dust. Houthi military officials denounced the strikes as a severe escalation, warning that blood was "unjustly and aggressively spilled" and promising military retaliation against Saudi infrastructure.

How is the broader Yemen conflict impacting regional security?

The escalation in Taiz follows a dramatic revival of the Yemeni war since July 2026, which ended a two-year UN-brokered truce:

• Coastal Offensive: In early September, Houthi forces launched a rapid ground campaign that captured Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, including the strategic port of Mocha and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
• Drone Interceptions and Saudi Response: On Saturday, Saudi military air defenses intercepted two Houthi suicide drones heading toward Riyadh. Following the incident, education authorities in the Saudi capital announced a shift to remote learning for schools for one week as a precautionary measure.
• Economic & Maritime Impact: The Houthi maritime blockade on Saudi shipping through Bab al-Mandab, operating alongside Tehran's restriction of the Strait of Hormuz, has severely hindered regional energy exports and worsened a humanitarian crisis.

According to reporting by Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, Yemen's government forces continue to engage Houthi units around Taiz, but Houthi control over key transit choke points presents major strategic challenges for the Saudi-backed coalition.