Yemen's internationally recognised government said its forces have repelled a Houthi assault south of the port city of Hodeidah, claiming they inflicted heavy casualties on the Iran-backed group in the most violent clashes in years.
Yemeni State Minister Waleed Al Qudaimi said in a post on X that at least 15 government personnel were killed in the battle at Jabal Dabbas after what he described as a "heroic confrontation" that left more than 50 Houthi rebels dead and dozens wounded.
He said the Houthis had repeatedly attacked positions held by government forces on the western coastal front but had failed to break through.
Separately, the Yemen Presidential Council said President Rashad Al Alimi spoke by telephone with council member Lieutenant General Tariq Saleh to receive an update on the fighting.
According to the presidency, National Resistance forces thwarted an attempt by Houthi rebels to infiltrate frontline positions, forcing the attackers to retreat after sustaining heavy losses.
Mr Al Alimi praised the combat readiness of the National Resistance and other military formations on the western front and called for continued coordination and heightened readiness to counter further attacks by the Houthis.
The Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, including the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeidah, while the internationally recognised government, based in Aden, controls much of the south.
Although a UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, sporadic clashes have continued.
The latest confrontation comes after the Houthis renewed threats to target airports and other key infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.
