Yemen and the Red Sea

Houthis cut the Taiz–Aden road at al-Safiya, security sources tell AFP

This version is a correction.

ATTACK
Location
al-Safiya, on the Taiz–Aden road (locality named by security sources; the mark is Taiz because al-Safiya itself is not pinned)
Actors
Houthis
Importance
Notable

On Sunday, 4 October 2026, Houthi fighters cut the main supply road between Taiz and Aden, the interim capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, four security sources told AFP. A police source said the group took the al-Safiya area, cut the road and took the police station there. Three military sources said the move effectively encircled Taiz, which itself remains under government control. Fighting on the road was still going on when the sources spoke.

Why it matters

The road is the government-held link between Taiz and Aden. Cutting it isolates the city from the coast while the front is already the focus of the day’s claimed air operations.

Verification: Probable

Evidence: Yemen announces military campaign to reclaim land from Iran-backed Houthis, Houthis cut vital supply road to Yemen's Taiz: security sources to AFP

AFP’s account rests on four security sources, including a police source and three military sources. No Houthi statement confirming al-Safiya was in the copy read, and the road was still being fought over.