A Yemeni military official confirmed to Arab News that forces from the Giants Brigade, Nation Shield, and the local Al-Sabiha tribe successfully dislodged Houthi fighters from several outposts on Friday (September 25, 2026). Among the captured positions is the strategic Noman Mountain base in the Al-Madaribah Wa Al-Arah district, which Houthi commanders previously used to monitor vast swathes of Lahj and adjacent southern and western districts of Taiz province. The offensive follows earlier Houthi attempts to advance from the Red Sea port city of Mokha toward the mountainous regions of Kahbub and southern Taiz to overlook the critical Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Military commanders noted that the heavy resistance forced Houthi retreat with significant casualties, leaving their coastal positions along the Red Sea vulnerable as government forces continue their push in northern and southern Yemen.