Iran-backed Houthi forces have intensified their attacks in Yemen in recent days, launching five ballistic missiles toward areas in the southern and western parts of Taiz province, according to local sources.

The missile launches caused fear among residents and reportedly forced dozens of families to flee their homes.

According to an Al Arabiya correspondent, local residents said the missiles were launched from Jabal Oman, east of Taiz, toward areas in the southern and western parts of the province.

Sources also reported on Friday that two airstrikes targeted Houthi gatherings near Mokha Airport, south of the city.

Fighting Reaches Bab al-Mandab

The escalation has also raised concerns around the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait.

According to Reuters, two Yemeni government sources said Houthi forces had reached the town of Dhubab, located on the Bab al-Mandab Strait opposite Mayyun Island.

Another government source told AFP that Houthi forces had deployed personnel on Mayyun Island, a strategically important island situated in the middle of the strait.

The developments are particularly significant because Bab al-Mandab is a major maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.

Families Flee Amid Reported Abuses

Reports of arrests, raids and alleged abuses against civilians have also increased in parts of Taiz and neighboring Hudaydah province as fighting intensifies.

Local residents said more than 150 families were forced to leave their homes following a campaign of arrests and house raids. Many reportedly moved toward the Bani Omar area in southern Taiz, which is under the control of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

In Hudaydah, Houthi forces have also reportedly raided the offices of several humanitarian organizations. Local sources described the incidents as part of growing pressure on civilians and aid workers.

The latest escalation comes as Houthi forces have renewed attacks around Mokha, while government forces have repositioned and reinforced their positions along Yemen’s western coast.

Government forces have also sent additional reinforcements from Mokha toward the Dhubab area of Taiz province.

Government Warns Against Houthi Advances

Yemen’s National Defense Council said Thursday evening that any “temporary” advance on the ground would not give the Houthis the right to impose a new reality by force.

The council stressed that the state and armed forces retained the ability to regain control and continue what it described as “deterrence operations” on multiple fronts.

Fighting between Houthi forces and government troops began about a week ago and has reportedly become the most intense confrontation since the truce agreement reached in 2022.

According to AFP, at least 500 people have been killed, most of them Houthi fighters.

The United Nations has said the renewed violence has displaced at least 20,000 people. Thousands of residents from Mokha and surrounding areas have reportedly fled toward the southern city of Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The renewed fighting underscores the fragility of Yemen’s ceasefire arrangements and raises fresh concerns over the security of civilians, humanitarian operations and one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes.