South24 Center (Aden)

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Southern forces and the Houthis exchanged artillery fire on the Karsh front in northern Lahj Governorate on Saturday, August 15, amid escalating military tensions across several fronts.

A military source told South24 Center that Houthi forces fired more than six mortar shells at positions held by the Southern Armed Forces on the Karsh front. Southern forces responded with heavy weapons, targeting the sources of fire and inflicting casualties on the Houthi side, according to the source. No precise casualty figures were immediately available. The artillery exchanges continued until Saturday afternoon.

Karsh is one of the active lines of contact between Southern forces and the Houthis in northern Lahj, where the area frequently witnesses artillery exchanges and infiltration attempts. Houthi movements have also been reported on nearby fronts toward Al-Musaymir and Al-Dhalea.

The clashes in Karsh coincided with fighting farther west in Taiz Governorate.

Government forces said they thwarted a large-scale Houthi attack on the Al-Barh front in western Taiz following clashes in which the attacking forces used artillery, mortars and drones. Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency quoted a military source as saying that a number of Houthi fighters were killed or wounded, while several military vehicles, artillery pieces and positions were destroyed or damaged before the attackers retreated.

The latest clashes followed several days of strikes by the National Resistance against Houthi positions in the same sector.

Its military media said artillery and drone strikes over three days targeted positions, commanders and vehicles belonging to Houthi formations in Al-Barh, including what it identified as the 14th Al-Samad Brigade and the 155th Infantry Brigade.

It added that more than 27 Houthi fighters were killed and 19 others wounded in those strikes, while several military vehicles were also damaged.

There were also signs of a broader military build-up around western Taiz. The Taiz Military Axis said its artillery targeted Houthi reinforcements moving toward the western fronts on Friday.

Saba quoted a military source as saying that the reinforcements included tanks, heavy military equipment and artillery pieces moving around Mafraq Sharab, Al-Siyahi, Hadran and the vicinity of the 35th Armored Brigade camp. The source said the movements appeared aimed at reinforcing Houthi positions and increasing pressure on the western front.

In southeastern Taiz, government-aligned forces also said their artillery responded to Houthi shelling targeting the Al-Salo front, adding another flashpoint to the escalating exchanges of fire across the governorate.

The Western Coast has witnessed a notable escalation in recent days. The National Resistance’s military media said the Houthis had fired 36 ballistic missiles and 42 drones toward areas along the coast over the past several days, in addition to attacks involving explosive-laden boats.

It added that air defenses intercepted 11 drones, while the National Resistance naval forces and Coast Guard destroyed two explosive boats.

The escalation around Al-Mokha continued on Friday evening, when the Houthis targeted the port with six ballistic missiles, according to Yemeni Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Majed Al-Nazili.

Al-Nazili described the port as a vital civilian, economic and maritime facility and said the attack would be met with what he described as a “deterrent and severe response proportionate to the scale of the threat.”