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Yemeni Forces Launch 130+ Operations Against Houthis in 24 Hours — AI-generated representative image: Yemeni government soldiers observe a desert front-line position amid reported clashes with Houthi forces.

Editorial Team

Fighting spreads across Marib, Taiz and Hodeidah as the UN-brokered ceasefire collapses and Yemen edges back toward civil war.

Yemen's internationally recognised government says its forces have carried out at least 133 military operations against the Houthi armed group, also known as Ansar Allah, in the past 24 hours as fighting spreads across the country. Army spokesperson Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili said on Tuesday that the operations targeted "the capabilities and elements of the terrorist Houthi militia" and involved army units stationed along front-line positions.

The escalation marks the collapse of an informal years-long period of calm that began with a temporary United Nations-brokered truce in 2022. With clashes now reported in at least seven provinces and Houthi strikes reaching beyond Yemen's borders, the Arab region's most impoverished nation is once again teetering on the edge of full-scale civil war.

Fighting Spreads Across Multiple Fronts

The latest government offensive followed a Houthi claim that it had attacked "a Saudi-led coalition landing ship and four accompanying warships" near the port city of al-Makha in Taiz province. Clashes have been reported in Marib, al-Jawf, Hadramout, Hodeidah, Taiz, al-Dhale and Lahj.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have also launched strikes beyond the country's borders, targeting Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping. The fighting has intensified since a government operation on August 6 against what it called Houthi weapons-smuggling routes, which was followed by the heaviest Houthi bombardment in years.

How the Conflict Reignited

The eruption of fighting is tied to both local and regional developments. In late June, as regional tensions rose during the United States-Iran war, both the internationally recognised government and the Houthis began mobilising fighters. Then in July, a strike claimed by the government on Sanaa airport, aimed at stopping a plane from Iran from landing, prompted the Houthis to declare a naval blockade and initiate a general mobilisation.

That was followed by an escalation in attacks on Red Sea shipping and strikes on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities. The government then launched its preemptive operation on August 6, triggering a chain of escalations that has continued since.

Battlefield Details and Casualties

In Marib, largely held by government forces, Houthi missiles and drones have struck deep inside the province, including Marib city and several displacement camps. The province hosts more than two million displaced people. The most intense strike came on August 6, when missiles and drones targeted military camps in al-Ruwaik and al-Thaniyah in Marib and al-Abr in Hadramout, killing and injuring dozens.

In Taiz province, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted the port city of al-Makha since August 9. At least seven people were killed and 35 others injured in an August 9 attack. In Hodeidah, government forces carried out a dawn attack on August 8 against Houthi command centres and fortifications in contested southern areas.

Analysts say pro-government forces have shifted from a defensive posture to simultaneous preemptive strikes through joint operations rooms that encircle the Houthis from four directions. Houthi officials, meanwhile, accuse Riyadh of starting the escalation by bombing Sanaa airport and massing forces near the capital, claims Saudi Arabia has denied.

What Lies Ahead

Analysts are divided over the immediate outlook. Military expert Ali al-Dhahab believes a full-scale confrontation is unlikely soon, arguing that regional conditions do not yet afford the government and its coalition backers a decisive battle with "guaranteed results". He added that the Houthis are trying to hasten a battle they consider unavoidable, making a large-scale confrontation possible before the end of the year.

Brigadier General Abdul Rahman al-Rubaie, by contrast, says the balance has tilted toward the government and that a decisive outcome would come through a Yemeni decision backed by regional and international support.