Deadly strikes hit Taiz market as Yemeni sides trade blame

At least 30 people were killed in an attack on al-Hadara market in Yemen's Taiz governorate, according to claims from the Houthi movement. The market is in al-Waziiya district, an area that has seen ongoing fighting, and both the Houthis and Yemen's government forces have blamed each other for the strike. The incident has added to the already volatile conflict in one of the country's most contested governorates.

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The Houthis said three air strikes hit the market and that eight other people were injured. They accused Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, of carrying out the attack and described it as a deliberate targeting of civilians. The Houthi-run Ministry of Health and Environment in Sanaa called for an independent international investigation.

There has been no immediate response from the Saudi-led coalition. Yemen's government forces gave a different account, saying the Houthis fired ballistic missiles at the market and caused dozens of civilian casualties. Their spokesperson, Colonel Majed al-Nazili, accused the Iran-backed group of committing a war crime and called for accountability.

The conflicting accounts could not be independently verified, and the scale of the damage remains unclear beyond the casualty claims reported by the two sides. The attack matters because al-Waziiya district is strategically important in the wider Taiz conflict. Reporting from the area says the district is controlled by the Houthis and that coalition attacks have been taking place daily in an effort to gain control of its mountain range.

The same reporting said whoever controls al-Waziiya controls much of the western Red Sea coastal line, underlining the military significance of the area. The incident comes against the backdrop of a broader struggle in Taiz governorate, where front lines have shifted repeatedly during Yemen's long war. The Yemeni army said it had recaptured several areas in the governorate on Friday, including al-Nidani village, Shaab al-Sarari, parts of the Sanamat area and the Ribat al-Qarn area in Dhi al-Barh.

Government forces also said they had imposed a siege on entrances to the al-Sarari area. Taiz city itself remains under government control, but the Houthis have maintained a siege on the city for 30 days, affecting hundreds of thousands of people, according to the reporting. The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a worsening humanitarian situation there, with food and medicine becoming increasingly scarce.

What remains unclear is who carried out the market attack and whether an independent investigation will be allowed to establish responsibility.

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