Yemeni government forces claim 1,860 Houthis ‘neutralised’

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters. Published On 8 Oct 20268 Oct 2026.

Key points

• The new operation followed Houthi attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, according to the spokesperson.
• Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, confirmed on Sunday the "Dawn of Yemen" operation to retake all Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa.
• The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen remarked on Wednesday it destroyed 82 Houthi military targets in the Yemeni governorates of Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib.
• Yemeni administration forces stated they have "neutralised" 1, 860 Houthi fighters since launching a large-scale counter-offensive to retake territory under control of the rebel group.
• Forces aligned with the Yemeni administration rolled out an operation on Tuesday to capture strategic territory near the strait and around the city of Mocha.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the internationally recognised government's army remarked in a social media post early on Thursday local time that they carried out 2, 103 "precise targeting operations" against Houthi military positions throughout a number of fronts as part of the ongoing "Dawn of Yemen" operation.

Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, confirmed on Sunday the "Dawn of Yemen" operation to retake all Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa. It the Iran-backed group has controlled since 2014.

Battles in Yemen have focused in recent days on areas around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a shipping route that has become more crucial for energy exports since the conflict between the US and Iran restricted trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

Forces aligned with the Yemeni administration rolled out an operation on Tuesday to capture strategic territory near the strait and around the city of Mocha. It the Houthis had captured in September.

In practice, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen remarked on Wednesday it destroyed 82 Houthi military targets in the Yemeni governorates of Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib.

For context, the spokesperson for the coalition remarked in an official note the targets included ballistic missile sites including "11 mountain-based ballistic missile storages in Saada, command and control centres, communication systems, missile and weapons storages".

Meanwhile, the new operation followed Houthi attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, according to the spokesperson.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority remarked the attacks on the two airports killed three residents.

One person was killed and eight wounded in an attack on King Khalid International Airport, and two were killed and 28 wounded in an attack on facilities at Abha airport, the General Authority of Civil Aviation remarked in an official note.

Taken together, the developments around yemeni government forces claim 1, 860 Houthis 'neutralised' point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.