Yemen government says Houthi attack on Taiz district kills 8, wounds 26

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Houthi attack on the al-Maw'ah district in Yemen's western Taiz governorate killed eight people and wounded 26, according to reports cited by the Yemeni government. The assault struck civilian hospitals, homes and government buildings with 30 ballistic missiles. The Yemeni Air Force said it shot down 16 Houthi drones during a simultaneous attempted bombing-boat attack on the district's port and anchored commercial vessels. The strikes damaged the port dock and facilities used for cargo and livestock loading and unloading. Yemen's government condemned the attacks, saying they formed part of a systematic campaign by the Houthis against ports and live infrastructure. It said the operation was consistent with the group's approach of targeting urban infrastructure and economic sectors. The assault followed Houthi threats to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait and harass commercial shipping, and coincided with Iran's effective halt of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The source linked the escalation around the straits to broader Tehran-Washington tensions connected to late-February US and Israeli strikes on Iran.