Houthi Sniper and Artillery Attacks Leave 11 Casualties in Rural Taiz

A series of sniper attacks and artillery shelling by Houthi forces targeted residential villages in the Sabir Al-Mawadim and Al-Masrakh districts of Taiz, Yemen, on Monday, October 26, 2026, resulting in the deaths of five civilians and injuries to six others, including women and children.

Local sources reported that Rabie Mohammed Ghaleb, 32, was killed by a Houthi sniper in the village of Hamma, located in the Al-Aqroud sub-district, while his brother, Fahmi, 26, sustained injuries from the same shooter. In the same area, a 44-year-old woman, Widad Saeed Hamid Aqlan, was wounded by shrapnel as snipers targeted civilian homes, an act that occurred during a two-hour window of sustained violence that severely hampered rescue efforts.

The violence extended to the Sabir Al-Mawadim district, where three minors—Jamal Jameel Ali Abdulraqib, 14, Mohammed Abdulwahid Abdullah Al-Aswad, 14, and Luay Hani Abdullah Al-Aswad, 17—were killed by Houthi shelling and sniper fire. Three additional civilians in that district, including 17-year-old Ali Fathi Ali Abdulraqib, 13-year-old Abdulqawi Jameel Ali Abdulraqib, and 26-year-old Kawthar Abdulbaqi Mohammed Saif, were also wounded in the attacks.

In a separate incident within the Al-Masrakh district, 12-year-old Salah Saeed was struck by sniper fire in the village of Al-Dimnah. Local reports indicate the shots originated from a Houthi sniper position established on Mount Aden in the Al-Aqroud region.

The situation remains volatile, with ongoing sniper activity causing widespread fear among the local population. Residents have reported extreme difficulty in transporting the wounded to medical facilities, citing the constant threat of being targeted by Houthi forces as they attempt to assist victims in the embattled rural areas of Taiz.