In brief
BBC reporters have broken into Yemen’s warzone, following Saudi‑backed troops from Taiz to the contested no‑man’s land that borders Houthi-controlled territory. The brief footage shows a drone hover followed by pounding strikes within ten minutes, underscoring the escalating bombardment after the Houthis seized a key Red Sea chokepoint. In one of the first rare front‑line visits, senior correspondent Nawal Al‑Maghafi recounts the tense drive, the drone alert, and the subsequent assault. The episode highlights the growing intensity of the civil war and the peril to anyone moving through the contested zones.
In rare access to Yemen’s conflict zone, the BBC has travelled with government forces from Taiz through checkpoints to the line where the Houthi control ends and no man’s land begins.
Saudi-backed pro-government forces are battling to push back Houthi fighters, who swept down the coast of the Red Sea earlier this month, taking control of a key shipping chokepoint and escalating Yemen’s civil war.
From the front-line a drone is heard above, which a soldier accompanying the crew in south‑western Yemen said is usually followed by an attack.
Within about 10 minutes, after the crew had driven away, the loud thuds of strikes followed, senior international investigations correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi reports.
