Field sources say the group is clearing residential areas near Al-Hawban as fighting intensifies along routes leading to Yemen’s western coast

Houthi authorities have ordered loyalist families to leave homes near frontline areas in Al-Hawban and eastern Taiz, according to field information obtained by Sheba Intelligence.

Many of the families had been settled by the group during the war in properties belonging to displaced residents and political opponents who fled Houthi-controlled areas.

Field sources told Sheba Intelligence that the evacuation orders affect homes close to military routes and confrontation lines used to move fighters, weapons and supplies.

The measures appear intended to clear sensitive areas for military use and give Houthi forces greater freedom to deploy troops, construct fortifications and move equipment near the front.

Some evacuated buildings could also be converted into observation posts, storage facilities or temporary military positions, particularly in densely populated areas where openly established bases would be vulnerable.

The number of families affected and the locations to which they have been transferred remain unclear.

The evacuations come amid a noticeable escalation across several Taiz fronts.

Government forces have reported repelling Houthi infiltration attempts in the Al-Karaif front east of the city, while further clashes have been recorded around Jabal Han, Al-A’nayn, Jabal Habashi, Al-Barh and western Taiz.

Medium and heavy weapons have been used in several confrontations. Government military statements reported Houthi casualties, although no independently verified figures are available.

The significance of the Houthi activity extends beyond Taiz itself.

Western Taiz controls key land routes leading toward Mokha, Dhubab, the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Any government advance through these areas could create an additional axis of pressure on Houthi positions south of Hodeidah.

Al-Barh, Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi are particularly important because they sit near routes connecting inland Taiz with the coastal theater.

The evacuations and frontline movements may therefore form part of a broader effort to secure the corridor between Al-Hawban and western Taiz and prevent government forces from opening a land route toward Mokha and Bab al-Mandab.

The timing is also significant because the Houthis are separately reinforcing forces around Hays, south of Hodeidah.

Taken together, the movements in Taiz and Hays suggest that the group increasingly views the two fronts as part of a connected military theater extending from eastern Taiz to the western coast.

The evacuation orders do not by themselves confirm that a large-scale offensive is imminent. They do, however, indicate that the Houthis are preparing frontline areas for more intensive military activity and seeking to protect the inland approaches to the Red Sea coast.