Yemen Forces Claim Victory Over Houthis at Mount Qarfan

Yemen government forces say they hold Mount Qarfan now. Major General Abdulaziz al-Majidi claims the victory came after fierce battles with Iran-aligned Houthi fighters. Five rebels died in the fight while twenty others suffered wounds according to his report. Local troops helped secure the heights on Tuesday, the Yemen Armed Forces Media Center stated. This move gives government forces fire control over valleys between ash-Shamaytaun and al-Waziiya districts in southern Taiz governorate.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis regarding this claim of total control. Fighting continues as regional tensions rise following the United States-Israel war on Iran. The Houthis seized Yemen's Red Sea coast this month, including the port of Mocha. They pushed into the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahj governorates hoping to sever the coast from government-held south. Control of these strategic heights overlooks Bab al-Mandeb strait and Mayyun Island.

"The mountains are the natural wall that protects the Houthis' rear on the coast," said Faozi Al-Goidi, a visiting fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He explained that controlling them would place direct pressure on Lahj and Aden in the longer term. Analysts told Al Jazeera the group sought defensive shields for their coastal forces.

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, said his side shot down a reconnaissance drone over Mocha on Tuesday. He also claimed Saudi warplanes carried out 19 air strikes hitting targets in Taiz, al-Jawf and Marib governorates within the past day. The government-aligned Yemeni News Agency reported that Houthi forces shelled residential neighbourhoods in central Taiz city causing damage to homes.

Civilians face a growing displacement crisis while forced from their homes. More than 158,000 people have been displaced this month according to Yemen's Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps. The World Health Organization said 674 people died and almost 3,000 were injured in renewed fighting since August 6. Sixteen-four deaths and 516 injuries occurred alone between September 13 and 18.

Ibrahim Al-Huri, an assistant professor at the University of Saba Region, told Al Jazeera that civilians are paying the highest prices in this war. Three thousand people crossed the sea to Djibouti and Somalia using primitive boats putting their lives at risk. He added that people have become desperate seeking refuge and safety far from home.

Displacement has ripped families from everything they knew. Homes are gone. Farms lie abandoned. Income streams have snapped. Many survivors now huddle inside camps that are overflowing with desperate people trying to find their footing. Food is scarce. Sanitation is failing. Water runs low or stops entirely. Medical help is nearly impossible to get. The strain on these resources is severe, and every day brings more hardship for those who cannot stay put.