More than 200 Houthi fighters have reportedly been killed over the past 48 hours, most of them in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province, amid intense clashes and drone strikes, according to military sources in Sanaa.
The reported losses are among the heaviest suffered by the Iran-backed group since the latest escalation in Yemen began.
Military and medical sources said most of those killed were members of the Houthis’ so-called al-Samad Brigade. They added that large numbers of bodies had been transported to hospitals in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, over the past two days.
Houthis Send Reinforcements to Taiz Front
Yemeni media outlet Yemen Future, citing military sources, reported that the Houthis had dispatched fresh reinforcements to the al-Barh front west of Taiz in an effort to offset their losses and resume their offensive.
The reported reinforcements included members of the group’s elite units, commandos and mobilization forces.
The developments come as the Houthis face mounting casualties on several fronts, prompting the group to seek additional manpower for the fighting.
Hundreds of Prisoners Released to Join the Fighting
Sources in Sanaa also said the Houthis had begun releasing hundreds of prisoners and detainees from detention facilities in areas under their control in exchange for joining the fighting.
Around 850 prisoners and detainees have reportedly been released from prisons in Saada, Hajjah and Sanaa. The group included individuals accused of criminal and drug-related offenses, according to the sources.
Preparations are also reportedly underway to release another 1,400 prisoners in Dhamar province.
According to the same sources, those released were required to sign pledges to join the front lines in exchange for having their cases dropped or their legal status resolved.
The Houthis also reportedly offered some detainees formal recruitment and financial assistance, while agreeing to settle the debts of certain prisoners who had been jailed because they were unable to repay them, in return for joining the fighting.
