The National Resistance Forces (NRF) reported this Sunday the death of more than 500 soldiers in a month of intense fighting with the Shiite Houthi rebels on the coast of Yemen.
Through a statement, the forces loyal to the internationally recognized government of Yemen also indicated that about 1,500 of their fighters were injured.
Regarding the Houthi forces, the NRF stated that they suffered more than a thousand fatal casualties and that thousands of their personnel were injured during the clashes, which occurred between August 9 and 10.
The NRF pointed out that the fighting between both sides was the fiercest in several years on Yemen’s western coast.
Despite the casualties and the retreat to new defensive positions, the group assured that the measure does not imply the end of their offensive and reaffirmed their intention to continue fighting alongside government forces.
According to them, the NRF’s goal is to “recover the country’s territorial unity and regain control of Sana’a”, the capital that has remained in the hands of the Houthis since 2014.
The escalation has also deepened the humanitarian crisis. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 76,000 people have left their homes since July, especially in areas such as Taiz, Lahj, and Al Hudaydah.
Likewise, more than 2,000 people have left Yemen for Djibouti since Thursday, due to the increase in fighting. The organization indicated that it is providing assistance in Obock, northern Djibouti, although it warned that more humanitarian support is needed.
The Houthis, who maintain control of much of northern Yemen, including Sana’a and the port city of Hodeidah, have made significant advances in recent days on the Red Sea coast.
In this regard, on Thursday they took control of the port city of Mocha and later advanced on Dhubab and a nearby island, areas considered strategic due to their location on access routes to the Red Sea.
The new military movements have raised tensions in a key region for international maritime traffic and have revived one of the longest conflicts in the Middle East.
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