# BBC reaches Yemen's front line as Houthis escalate war

> The BBC gains rare access to government-held territory in Taiz as Saudi-backed forces face Houthi fighters who have seized control of a key Red Sea shipping route.
- Title: BBC reaches Yemen's front line as Houthis escalate war
- Summary: The BBC gains rare access to government-held territory in Taiz as Saudi-backed forces face Houthi fighters who have seized control of a key Red Sea shipping…
- Keywords: yemen, houthis, yemen civil war, taiz, red sea, saudi-backed forces, bbc reporting, news, world, BBC, reaches, Yemen's
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/videos/crp3kgjygnkeo
- Published: 2026-09-27T21:00:06.86+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: yemen, houthis, yemen civil war, taiz, red sea, saudi-backed forces, bbc reporting, news, world
## BBC gains rare access to Yemen conflict
The BBC has travelled with government forces from Taiz through checkpoints to the front line where Houthi control ends and no man's land begins.
## Houthis seize key Red Sea shipping route
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.
## Houthi advance escalates Yemen's civil war
The Houthi takeover of the shipping chokepoint has escalated Yemen's civil war, intensifying the conflict between government and rebel forces across the country.
## Drone spotted above BBC crew at front line
From the front line, a drone was heard above. A soldier accompanying the BBC crew in south-western Yemen said drones are usually followed by an attack.
## Strikes hit area minutes after crew departs
Within about ten minutes after the crew had driven away, loud thuds of strikes followed, according to senior international investigations correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi.
## Key takeaway

The BBC reported from Yemen's front line in Taiz as Saudi-backed government forces battle Houthi fighters who recently took a key Red Sea shipping chokepoint, escalating the civil war.