Houthis Report Two Killed at Taiz Gas Station as Coalition Intercepts Drones

Fighting around Taiz, the besieged capital of Yemen’s Taiz province, intensified on Tuesday after Houthi rebels accused Yemeni government forces of attacking a gas station. The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that the strike killed at least two people and wounded several others. Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV aired footage showing two bodies in body bags and injured patients receiving treatment at a hospital. The Associated Press could not independently verify the casualty count.

The gas station strike occurred late Monday, according to Anees al-Asbahi, a Health Ministry spokesperson for the Houthi side. He stated that government forces targeted the facility directly. The attack added to the pressure on residents of Taiz, where the humanitarian situation is already deteriorating due to the ongoing siege.

This development follows a report released Monday by Human Rights Watch. The organization stated that Houthi forces used explosives to severely damage the Hayjat al-Abd road, a primary entry point for food, fuel, and medicine into the city. The group argued that the attack, which took place on October 18, may violate international law if the intent was to disable infrastructure indispensable to civilian survival. Human Rights Watch warned that the destruction of the road has worsened the dire conditions facing civilians in the region.

Regional tensions also escalated on Tuesday as Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti addressed Egypt’s growing involvement. Speaking to The Associated Press in a video interview, al-Bukhaiti said that Egypt’s support for Saudi Arabia constitutes hostile action. He argued that because Saudi Arabia is the aggressor in Yemen, it does not require defense, and that Egyptian backing would effectively drag the Arab world's most populous nation into the conflict.

Egyptian lawmakers approved a measure to support Saudi Arabia in a closed session on Monday. The decision was requested by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Egypt’s highest security body had previously pledged to provide all necessary forms of support to defend Saudi Arabia’s security, resources, and territorial integrity, as well as to safeguard Islamic holy sites. Concern among ordinary Egyptians regarding potential involvement in the Yemeni conflict has grown since the announcement.

In the Gulf, the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting four Houthi drones targeting the kingdom’s south and three ballistic missiles aimed at its eastern region. Coalition spokesperson Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki posted the details on X overnight Tuesday. He did not provide further evidence, and the Associated Press could not independently verify the interception claims.

The situation in Taiz remains fluid, with both sides accusing the other of targeting civilian infrastructure. The Houthi Health Ministry continues to monitor the aftermath of the gas station strike, while coalition forces maintain air defenses in the region.