Forces allied with Yemen's Islah Party are facing accusations of facilitating Houthi advances in Taiz province, with strategic positions reportedly abandoned without adequate coordination, raising serious questions about military performance and internal divisions within the anti-Houthi bloc.
Recent events in Taiz fronts have seen the withdrawal from key military sites, prompting allegations that factions linked to the Islah Party have created vulnerabilities allowing the Houthi militia to progress. This pattern of troop movements has fueled extensive speculation regarding the effectiveness of military formations associated with the party, and whether internal disputes among anti-Houthi factions are inadvertently benefiting the Houthi group.
Following the fall of sites in Al-Kadha earlier this month after a withdrawal by Taiz axis forces, which subsequently enabled the Houthis to advance towards Al-Wazi'iyah and the western coast, similar developments have occurred in the province's south. Forces from the Tura Al-Bahah axis, loyal to Islah, reportedly retreated from strategic locations in Jabal Rasin and the Al-Safiyah vicinity. This withdrawal has allowed the Houthis to advance and seize new territories, including Al-Samsarah and areas near the crucial route connecting Taiz to Turbah.
Military and local sources indicate that the sudden withdrawal of Tura Al-Bahah axis forces from Jabal Rasin and Al-Safiyah provided the Houthis with an opportunity to advance and control new areas, including reaching Al-Samsarah and the vital road leading to Turbah. These reports echo earlier events in the Al-Kadha front, where a surprise withdrawal by Taiz axis forces enabled Houthi advances and control over strategic positions that served as a critical defensive line for the western coast forces.
The loss of Al-Kadha positions was not merely a localized territorial setback; it opened a corridor for the Houthis towards Al-Wazi'iyah and the western coast, exerting new pressure on anti-Houthi positions towards Mokha and Bab Al-Mandab. Military sources have accused Islah-linked forces of withdrawing from their positions without sufficient coordination with other formations, which reportedly caused confusion along the front lines and left forward positions exposed to Houthi assaults. Field reports also suggest that some other units were not informed of the developments in Al-Kadha, which, according to these accounts, contributed to fighters being killed or captured after the Houthis secured the road.
In recent developments, Jabal Rasin has emerged as the latest site lost by anti-Houthi forces. Local and military sources state that forces from the Tura Al-Bahah axis, led by Islah leader Abu Bakr Al-Jubooli, withdrew from the mountain abruptly. This occurred concurrently with intense clashes fought by other forces in Al-Safiyah and the Bani Omar junction, allowing the Houthis to advance and capture new positions. Jabal Rasin's strategic location overlooks southwestern Taiz and is close to Al-Wazi'iyah, making its loss a significant gain for the Houthis, potentially enabling them to exert pressure towards areas connecting Taiz to the southern provinces.
Sources indicate that the forces which withdrew had previously returned to their positions in Jabal Rasin after an earlier withdrawal, only to leave again. This recurring withdrawal from the same strategic site, particularly when other forces were engaged in battles to halt Houthi advances, has drawn criticism and raised questions about the underlying reasons. With the Houthi advance around Al-Safiyah and Al-Samsarah, the road connecting Taiz to Turbah and Aden has become a focal point of the conflict. Reports suggest that traffic has halted on sections of this road following the targeting of a small bridge in the Najd Al-Bard area. The continued pressure on this route threatens one of Taiz city's most vital land corridors for communication with Aden and Lahj, and provides the Houthis an opportunity to pressure the southern areas of the province from multiple directions.
Earlier reports suggested Houthi entry into Turbah city, though subsequent field information indicated ongoing clashes and efforts by opposing forces to regain vital positions and routes. These recent developments have revived political and military accusations against forces associated with the Islah Party. Critics argue that the successive withdrawals from Al-Kadha, Jabal Rasin, and the Turbah vicinity cannot be separated from the internal disputes within the anti-Houthi camp. Writer Radwan Al-Hamdani stated that the withdrawal of forces perceived as aligned with Islah from Al-Kadha and Al-Wazi'iyah allowed the Houthis access to positions threatening the National Resistance and the western coast, characterizing the events as part of a series of conflicts within the anti-Houthi ranks. Al-Hamdani pointed to previous disagreements between military and political factions in Taiz, suggesting that the conflict within the republican camp has weakened the front against the Houthis and enabled the group to exploit divisions for battlefield gains.
Journalist Sayaf Al-Gharbani accused forces that controlled Al-Kadha of opening the way for the Houthis, questioning how the group reached the area and describing the events as a betrayal of anti-Houthi forces and the creation of a passage towards the western coast. In contrast, activist Ramez Al-Muqateri expressed doubt regarding some circulated information about the fall of Turbah, confirming ongoing clashes. However, he sharply criticized military leaders whom he accused of withdrawing from their positions and leaving gaps for the Houthis.
The successive developments present the military leadership in Taiz with questions that extend beyond the loss of a single position or mountain. The core issue lies in the repeated loss of strategic sites, which then become launching pads for Houthi advances into new areas. In Al-Kadha, the loss of positions opened an axis towards Al-Wazi'iyah and the coast, while the retreat from Jabal Rasin and Al-Safiyah threatens to open a route for the Houthis towards Turbah and the road leading to Aden. Analysts suggest that multiple decision-making centers, conflicting loyalties, and disagreements among anti-Houthi formations provide the Houthi group opportunities to exploit any field vacuums. They warn that the continuation of this situation could transform battles from clashes along front lines into conflicts over supply routes and strategic corridors.
