Houthis Publish Footage Claiming Capture of Dhubab and Jabal al‑Aswad From Saudi‑Backed Forces in Taiz
Houthi media have released images they say show their fighters taking the town of Dhubab and nearby Jabal al‑Aswad in Yemen’s Taiz province from Saudi‑backed Presidential Leadership Council forces, in an advance that follows earlier reports of Houthi strikes in the same axis using tanks and anti‑tank missiles.
New Houthi footage points to shifting front lines in one of Yemen’s most contested provinces.
On 28 October, Houthi outlets released images that they say document the capture of Dhubab and the Jabal al‑Aswad area in Taiz province. According to the claims, these locations were previously held by forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi‑backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).
Earlier the same day, conflict‑tracking accounts reported that Ansar Allah (the Houthis) had carried out numerous strikes on PLC positions in the Taiz axis. Those reports said the group employed a Soviet‑era T‑55A main battle tank and what appeared to be 9M133‑1 Kornet‑E or Dehlavieh anti‑tank guided missiles, along with rocket‑propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.
There has been no confirmation from the PLC side so far about the loss of Dhubab or Jabal al‑Aswad. In Yemen’s information environment, controlling the narrative often moves in parallel with controlling terrain, and visual material circulated by armed groups is part of that effort.
If the Houthi claims are accurate, the reported gains mark a change in control over high ground and settlements inside Taiz that have seen repeated battles over the course of the war. The use of tanks and anti‑tank missiles highlights the level of firepower both sides are willing to deploy to hold or seize such positions.
For civilians in and around Taiz, a shift in the local balance of power can mean new front lines, renewed shelling, or changes in which authority controls access roads. That in turn affects the flow of food, fuel, and basic services in a governorate that has long been among the hardest hit by the conflict.
Analysts will now be watching for independent geolocation of the Houthi footage, any acknowledgment or counterclaims from PLC‑aligned commanders, and signs of follow‑on attacks or reinforcements that would show whether these positions are being consolidated or remain contested.
Sources
- OSINT