Yemen government forces claim control of Mount Qarfan in Taiz

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces say they have taken full control of strategic Mount Qarfan in the western governorate of Taiz during a battle with Iran-aligned Houthi fighters.

Government forces, assisted by local fighters, secured Mount Qarfan on Tuesday, the Yemen Armed Forces Media Center said in a statement, as the warring sides battle for control of highlands overlooking the Red Sea coast.

The chief of staff for the Taiz military axis, Major General Abdulaziz al-Majidi, said troops engaged in “fierce battles” with Houthi rebels, killing five Houthi fighters, wounding 20 and achieving the “restoration of control” of the mountain.

The seizure of Mount Qarfan would give Yemen’s government forces commanding fire control and surveillance over the surrounding valleys between the ash-Shamaytaun and al-Waziiya districts in southern Taiz governorate.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the government forces’ claim.

The clashes come as fighting continues to rage in Yemen amid mounting regional tensions set off by the United States-Israel war on Iran.

The Houthis, who seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast this month, including the port of Mocha, have launched an attempt to push into the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahj governorates. Control of the strategic heights, which overlook the Bab al-Mandeb strait and Mayyun Island in the Red Sea, would allow the Houthis to sever the coast from the remaining government-held south.

Analysts told Al Jazeera that the Houthis were likely seeking to gain control of the mountains to provide a defensive shield for the group’s forces on the coast.