Yemen's civil war escalated sharply in recent days as Houthi rebels attacked Saudi Arabia's international airport in Riyadh, the deadliest strike on Saudi soil in more than a decade, while pro-government forces battle the Iran-backed group across Yemen's terrain.
BBC correspondent Orla Guerin traveled with Yemen's southern national security forces through Shaab-al-Jinn in Lahj governorate, where fighting has intensified. Commander Tawfiq Al Haboun, a southern forces officer, described Houthi fighters armed with snipers, artillery and ballistic missile launchers. He displayed remains of a downed Houthi drone he said carried C4 explosives.
The Houthis seized control of a strategic maritime corridor, Bab al-Mandab, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden in a lightning advance in September. This narrow waterway is crucial for oil exports. Pro-government forces claim to have retaken approximately 85% of territory the Houthis seized, though the rebels have not confirmed losses in this specific area according to local sources.
The conflict carries global implications. Houthi control of the shipping corridor threatens international energy supplies and prices. The group already poses a documented threat to global shipping and now demonstrates increased capacity to strike Saudi Arabia itself, providing leverage to Iran, the kingdom's regional rival.
The human toll in Yemen remains severe. Around 200,000 people have fled their homes since the escalation began in early September, according to the International Organization for Migration. This displacement occurs in the Arab world's poorest country. A woman named Aisha, who fled the Kahboob mountains after Houthi drone strikes, told the BBC correspondent: "We have been here for 30 days. I have no animals, no money, no water, no food, not even a blanket... we had to run, with just the clothes on our backs."
In Aden, military hospitals treat casualties from the frontlines. One facility received 51 casualties in a single day, many requiring amputations. Dr. Bassam Hazar stated: "I don't care where he comes from, his background or his religion. He is a human being so I should treat him as a human being." Among the wounded is 12-year-old Ali, injured by a drone while walking down the street, facing complicated spinal surgery.
A 2022 truce had brought relative calm, but the Houthis have emerged as a strengthened military force. They already control most of Yemen's population.