Middle East — 2026-08-07

Houthis Stage Large-Scale Attack on Saudi-Aligned Forces in Yemen Killing at Least 45

BLUFHouthi dual-track escalation on land and sea compresses Riyadh's response options and risks fracturing the 2022 truce framework at the worst possible moment for US-Iran negotiations.

Houthi forces struck Yemeni government military camps in the Marib and Hadramout provinces on Thursday using ballistic missiles and drones, according to Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree, who said the operation targeted the Saudi-backed First and Third Emergency Divisions 12. Yemeni government officials said at least 30 to 45 troops were killed and dozens wounded, while Saree claimed hundreds of "Saudi enemy mercenaries" were killed or injured and camps, depots and vehicles destroyed 234. Yemeni military sources told Al Jazeera the Houthis fired eight missiles from Al-Jawf governorate at targets in Hadramout and Marib, and that the assault struck during a morning training exercise, elevating the toll 3. The Yemeni Defense Ministry and the US Embassy in Yemen confirmed the attacks and condemned them as terrorism, and the Saudi-led coalition separately reported a Houthi strike on the border city of Najran that wounded 11 civilians 13.

Analysis
The dual-province assault is the most significant single-day Houthi escalation against Saudi-backed forces since the 2022 truce, breaking four years of relative ground-front dormancy even as the group's Red Sea blockade and shipping attacks continue in parallel. Dual-track pressure, missiles ashore and interdiction at sea, increases pressure on Riyadh to respond overtly rather than with the limited strikes it has favored to date. The military escalation should be read alongside the separate Najran civilian attack and Saudi warning of coordinated Houthi-Iraqi militia strikes. Any Saudi ground reinsertion would strain the fragile 2022 arrangement and risks diverting US attention and resources from the ongoing Iran-Hormuz negotiations track.

6 sources

Houthis Stage Large-Scale Attack On Saudi-Aligned Forces In Yemen - The War Zone
Houthi rebel attacks kill at least 30 Yemeni government forces, officials say - NBC News (AP)
Houthis claim to have killed 45 in attacks on Yemeni government forces - Al Jazeera
At least 45 people killed in Houthi attacks on government forces in Yemen - The National
Houthis Attack Saudi-Backed Forces in Yemen, Escalating Tensions - Bloomberg
Houthi rebel attacks kill at least 30 Yemeni government forces, officials say - The Washington Post