Yemeni armed forces reported thousands of targeted strikes and hundreds of combatant casualties as Operation Dawn of Yemen entered its thirteenth day, alongside heavy ground fighting and missile attacks across multiple governorates.
The operation involves the Yemeni Armed Forces backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen. It targets Houthi military capabilities, supply lines, and defensive installations.
On Thursday, October 15, 2026, the armed forces announced the launch of the wide-scale military operation. This effort encompassed over 1,250 precise targeting operations against Houthi positions and fortifications.
The current escalation began in July 2026. It marks the most extensive flare-up since the period of relative calm following the truce that started in April 2022.
Houthi forces seized control of Sana’a and multiple governorates in September 2014. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia initiated military intervention in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.
Yemeni Armed Forces Strike Houthi Positions in Taiz and Marib
Colonel Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili issued a statement detailing the military actions. He is the official spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces.
Forces carried out 1,292 targeted strikes within a 24-hour window. This action neutralized over 430 Houthi fighters and destroyed or disabled more than 100 military vehicles and transport assets.
Subsequent updates from the military reported higher figures. Forces executed 1,417 strikes over a later 24-hour period.
That later phase resulted in approximately 800 neutralized combatants and the destruction of more than 190 armored vehicles and supply carriers.
On Friday, October 16, 2026, Colonel Al-Nuzaili published footage detailing operations against Houthi field commanders, reinforcements, and military sites.
Independent casualty figures are unavailable. Reporting varies between government releases and statements from Houthi channels.
The operational focus centers on breaking defensive lines, dismantling fortifications, and targeting weapon storage facilities in contested governorates including Taiz, Marib, Al-Jawf, and Lahj.
According to reporting from Sana’a media outlets, the total number of coalition airstrikes approached 2,400. Houthi statements accused Saudi Arabia of targeting civilian infrastructure and causing civilian casualties.
Fierce Ground Offensives and Missile Attacks Strike Multiple Governorates
In Marib’s eastern sector, government units reported capturing new tactical high ground. They expanded operational breakthroughs following supporting artillery and air strikes.
Local authorities in Marib stated that Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles and projectiles into populated residential neighborhoods.
In the southern port city of Aden, a missile strike targeted the presidential Al-Maasheeq Palace area and the Al-Bureiqah district.
According to Minister of Public Health and Population Qasem Buhaibeh, the attack killed five people and wounded 16 others. The casualties included members of security guards and civilian employees.
Houthi media asserted that the strike was directed at a military operations room within the presidential compound.
The Saudi-led coalition separately reported intercepting and destroying a drone launched toward Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
United Nations Security Council Condemns Houthi Attacks on Saudi Infrastructure
The United Nations Security Council condemned ongoing Houthi attacks directed at Saudi infrastructure, civilian airports, and energy infrastructure. The body specifically cited reckless strikes against King Khalid International Airport, alongside multiple attacks on other airports and Aramco facilities.
The President of the UN Security Council called for “practical cooperation, including with the government of Yemen, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring weapons and related materiel, technical assistance, training, financial support, and other assistance related to military activities necessary to launch further attacks.”
The council emphasized that sustainable peace in Yemen cannot be attained through violence or coercion.
Officials called for practical cooperation with the internationally recognized government to halt illicit weapons transfers and stem the capacity for further military escalation.
