Taiz / Lahj, Yemen — September 28, 2026
A strategic mountain on the border between Yemen's Taiz and Lahj provinces is at the center of conflicting claims, with Saudi-backed government forces saying they captured it and the Houthis insisting it is still theirs.
The Government's Claim
On Friday, Yemeni government forces said they had taken the summit of Jabal Numan (also spelled Noman) and the nearby Dar al-Kafir position in Lahj. The National Shield Forces, backed by the Giants Brigades and local Al-Sabiha tribesmen, said the operation began with an overnight infiltration, followed by an encirclement and a dawn assault that forced Houthi fighters to withdraw, leaving weapons and ammunition behind.
The forces said the Houthis had used the heights to monitor the area and shell nearby villages, and that holding the summit would help protect villages in Wadi Al-Mudarabah and the outskirts of Al-Wazi'iyah.
The Houthi Response
The Houthis initially made no comment. Later reporting said they deny the mountain was retaken. Pro-Houthi outlets, citing the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, have instead reported that Houthi-led forces consolidated control over mountains in western Lahj and advanced in southern Taiz. Those claims are unverified, and I found no independent confirmation of who holds the summit as of Monday.
A Mountain That Keeps Changing Hands
This is not the first claim over Jabal Numan this month. Government-aligned forces reported retaking key positions there on September 20, saying the Houthis had seized them earlier in September. Yemeni officials say the Houthi offensive in Lahj and Taiz has reached a stalemate, while analysts say the government is gradually regaining high ground but has not launched a broad campaign to retake the coast.
Why This Mountain Matters
Whoever holds the Numan range can watch the Mokha coast, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Mayyun Island, and can threaten supply routes toward Lahj and Aden. Government forces say it also forms part of a defensive line protecting the south.
The Wider War
Fighting has escalated sharply since early August. The World Health Organization says at least 674 people have been killed and almost 3,000 injured since August 6, including 164 deaths and 516 injuries betwe