Yemeni government forces and Houthis trade blame for deadly Taiz market attack

Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebel group have traded blame following an attack on the al-Hadara market in the Taiz governorate, which both sides state resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. The spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces, Colonel Majed al-Nazili, claimed that the “terrorist” Houthis struck the market on Friday using ballistic missiles, which led to numerous civilian casualties. He accused the Iran-backed group of carrying out a “war crime” and demanded accountability for the incident.

In contrast, the Houthis alleged that Saudi Arabia, which supports the internationally recognised government, launched three air strikes on the market, killing at least 30 civilians and leaving eight others injured. The Ministry of Health and Environment in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa described the incident as a “horrific crime” and urged an independent international investigation into what it termed the “systematic targeting” of civilians by Saudi Arabia. There has been no response from the Saudi-led coalition, and reports could not be independently verified.

Reporting from Sanaa, Yousef Mawry noted that fighting has persisted in the al-Waziiya district where the market is situated. This area is under the control of the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, or “Supporters of God.” Mr Mawry explained that the Saudi-led coalition has been conducting daily attacks to secure the district and its strategic mountain range, stating, “Whoever controls the al-Waziiya district controls the majority of the western Red Sea coastal line.”

The Yemeni army stated it recaptured several areas within the Taiz governorate on Friday, including the al-Nidani village, Shaab al-Sarari, large portions of the Sanamat area, and the Ribat al-Qarn area in Dhi al-Barh. According to the military, government forces have also imposed a siege on the entrances to the al-Sarari area. While the Houthis maintain control over much of the governorate, the city of Taiz remains under government control, though it has been subjected to a Houthi siege for 30 days that has impacted hundreds of thousands of residents.

The United Nations has issued repeated warnings regarding a catastrophe in Taiz city, where food and medical supplies are growing increasingly scarce. On October 5, the internationally recognised government launched Operation Dawn of Yemen to seize territories held by Houthi fighters. Since the start of this military operation, both Saudi Arabia and government-held territories in Yemen have faced regular Houthi missile attacks, with the group firing missiles and drones daily into Saudi Arabia, striking oil facilities and disrupting air traffic.