Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces have launched an offensive to recapture the al‑Waziiya district in the south‑western province of Taiz, which has been under Houthi rebel control.
Al‑Waziiya is a mountainous area that sits on the high ground surrounding the coastal city of Mocha. Control of the district is seen as pivotal for any force seeking to dominate the port, given its strategic position overlooking the approaches to the Red Sea outlet.
Mocha, a historic Red Sea port, was seized by the Houthi movement last month. The capture of the port has heightened the strategic value of nearby high‑ground districts such as al‑Waziiya, as they can be used to launch attacks or to block supply routes to the city.
The fighting forms part of the broader Yemeni civil war, in which government forces and their allies have been attempting to push back Houthi advances across the country’s southern provinces, while the rebels continue to hold significant territory in the north and west.
While details on the scale of the offensive or its immediate outcomes have not been disclosed, Yemeni officials say the operation aims to restore government control over the key district and, by extension, to reopen a route to Mocha that could affect maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
<small>Source: Al Jazeera — read the original story there.</small>
