Aden (South24 Center)

A Southern soldier was killed, and five others were wounded on Wednesday (June 17) in a Houthi attack on the Bab Ghalaq frontline in northern Al-Dhalea governorate. Southern forces later repelled the assault and shelled Houthi positions and movements following its failure, according to a South24 correspondent.

The correspondent said Houthi militants launched a heavy attack on Southern forces' positions in Bab Ghalaq, one of the main frontlines in northern Al-Dhalea. The ensuing clashes resulted in the death of one Southern soldier and injuries to five others.

He added that Southern forces' artillery targeted Houthi positions and movements after the attack was repelled, noting that the group suffered casualties during the fighting.

The Houthis did not immediately comment on the attack.

In a parallel development, a military source told South24 that the Shabwa Defense Forces on Tuesday thwarted a Houthi assault involving heavy weapons on their positions in the Wadi Kharr frontline in Beihan district, northwest of Shabwa governorate.

The source said the clashes in Beihan resulted in Houthi casualties, without providing a specific figure, adding that the Shabwa Defense Forces prevented any advance toward their positions and forced the attackers to retreat.

The Bab Ghalaq frontline in Al-Dhalea and the Beihan front in Shabwa are among the most active contact lines between the Houthis and Southern forces. Both areas have witnessed intermittent clashes, infiltration attempts, and attacks involving heavy weapons and drones in recent months.

The escalation coincided with a briefing by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg to the UN Security Council, in which he said the military repercussions of recent regional tensions on Yemen have remained relatively limited. He noted the continuation of relative calm inside the country and the absence of new attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Grundberg said on Tuesday that his office recently held two meetings within the framework of the Military Coordination Committee. One brought together military representatives from the Coalition's Joint Forces Command and the Houthis, while the other involved the Joint Forces Command and the Yemeni government.

He added that the meetings discussed security priorities, de-escalation measures, and ways to strengthen communication channels. He also revealed that his office intends to convene a trilateral meeting involving the Yemeni government, the Houthis, and the Joint Forces Command in the coming period.

Despite the halt in Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia in recent years, internal frontlines continue to witness intermittent fighting, particularly in Al-Dhalea, Shabwa, and Lahj, underscoring the persistent risk of military escalation inside Yemen.