As fighting intensified again in Yemen, the Houthis said seven provinces had been targeted by 129 airstrikes over the past 48 hours. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said they would retaliate.
According to Saree’s statement, the attacks took place in the provinces of Taiz, Marib, Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Saada, Amran and Hajjah. The Houthi spokesman also alleged that the attacks were carried out by Saudi aircraft.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, says it has no military forces in Yemen and that its role is limited to supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and ensuring border security.
Yemeni army announces counterattack
The Yemeni army said on Saturday that it had targeted dozens of trucks said to belong to the Houthis. The trucks traveling from Taiz toward the Houthi-controlled capital, Sana’a, were allegedly carrying weapons, ammunition and missiles.
Government forces said they had also carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Taiz, Lahij and Al-Dhale provinces, as well as in Al-Mokha and its surrounding area. The statement said large Houthi assembly points, military vehicles and weapons had been destroyed, and that a major attack on Marib had been repelled.
Houthis say they have taken control of some areas
Fighting intensified further after changes to Yemen’s control map in recent days. The Houthis announced that they had taken control of several districts on the western coast of Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, as well as islands in the Red Sea.
The Houthi statement said the group had captured Hays and Al-Khokha in Hudaydah, along with Al-Wazi’iyah, Mawza, Al-Mokha, Dhubab and the remaining part of Maqbanah district in Taiz. The group also said it had taken control of Mayyun Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Yemeni government forces said they had advanced in Al Jawf province on the Saudi Arabian border and were approaching the provincial capital, Al Hazm.
War in Yemen escalated again in July 2026
Clashes between Yemen’s government and the Houthis intensified again from the beginning of July 2026 after several years of relative calm. The war began after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sana’a, and several provinces in September 2014.
The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in March 2015 to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
