Yemen's internationally recognised government forces say they have killed or wounded at least 190 Houthi fighters in hundreds of air and artillery attacks, as fighting continues across the country, while the Houthis claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on government-aligned troops and say they targeted Saudi Arabia with missiles.
Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for Yemen's government forces, said on Tuesday that attacks targeted Houthi positions in Lahij, Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf, Hajjah and al-Bayda governorates. In a statement, he said forces carried out at least 29 air strikes, 39 drone attacks, fired 62 rockets and conducted 744 artillery attacks. “Initial field reports indicate that about 190 Houthi commanders and fighters were killed or injured,” al-Nuzaili said, adding that up to 130 vehicles and combat assets used by the Iran-allied group were damaged or destroyed. Al Jazeera could not verify the battlefield claims.
The internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, has launched a counteroffensive, dubbed Operation Dawn of Yemen, to retake territory lost to the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, in September. The Saudi-led coalition has supported the ground campaign with air strikes, and the Houthis have fired missiles at the kingdom, targeting airports and oil facilities. According to the World Health Organization, at least 1,771 people have been killed in Yemeni hostilities since August, with at least 7,959 wounded, and more than 300,000 displaced.
For their part, the Houthis also claimed to have killed and wounded “a large number” of government-aligned fighters in attacks on al-Madaribah and Ras al-Ara areas in Lahij governorate on Tuesday. Yahya Saree, the Houthi spokesman, said dozens more government soldiers were killed and wounded in attacks on al-Jawf earlier in the day. Separately, Saree accused Saudi-backed forces of launching 109 air strikes and missile attacks on the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and positions in al-Jawf, Saada, Taiz, Lahij and Marib, killing and wounding “a large number of women and children”. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately confirm the strikes.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two missiles fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh and another aimed at its southern region. The Houthis said they targeted the Saudi capital and an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq in the kingdom's Eastern province.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The conflict threatens to destabilise the wider region, with Houthi missile attacks reaching Saudi Arabia's capital and key oil infrastructure.
- The humanitarian toll is mounting: thousands killed, tens of thousands wounded, and hundreds of thousands displaced since August.
- Escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions following the US-Israel war on Iran, with Saudi oil routes under new pressure.
Background
Yemen's civil war has pitted the Iran-backed Houthi movement against the internationally recognised government, which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition. The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and have since controlled large parts of the north. In September 2026, the Houthis launched a new offensive, prompting the government's Operation Dawn of Yemen counteroffensive. The conflict has repeatedly spilled over Saudi borders, targeting oil infrastructure and cities.
Key Perspectives
Yemeni government forces (spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili): claimed to have killed or wounded at least 190 Houthi fighters in hundreds of air and artillery attacks across six governorates, damaging up to 130 vehicles and assets.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree: claimed to have killed and wounded a large number of government-aligned fighters in Lahij and al-Jawf, and accused Saudi-backed forces of launching 109 air and missile strikes on Sanaa and other areas, killing and wounding women and children.
Saudi-led coalition (spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki): said it intercepted two missiles fired at Riyadh and another aimed at the southern region, blaming the Iran-backed Houthis.
What to Watch
- Whether the Houthis continue missile attacks on Saudi cities and oil infrastructure, potentially escalating the regional conflict.
- The outcome of Operation Dawn of Yemen and whether it shifts territorial control significantly.
- Any international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict, especially given the wider context of US-Israel tensions with Iran.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedYemeni forces and the Houthis exchanged attacks and claimed heavy losses.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Yemeni forces, Houthis exchange attacks, claim to inflict heavy losses.”
- SupportedGovernment forces said they had killed or wounded at least 190 Houthi fighters in hundreds of air and artillery attacks.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “forces aligned with the country’s internationally recognised government claiming to have killed and wounded at least 190 Houthi fighters in hundreds of air and artillery attacks.”
- SupportedAl-Nuzaili said: “Initial field reports indicate that about 190 Houthi commanders and fighters were killed or injured.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““Initial field reports indicate that about 190 Houthi commanders and fighters were killed or injured,” al-Nuzaili said.”
- SupportedAl-Nuzaili said forces carried out at least 29 air strikes, 39 drone attacks, fired 62 rockets and conducted 744 artillery attacks.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “In a statement, he said Yemeni government forces carried out at least 29 air strikes and 39 drone attacks. They also fired 62 rockets and carried out 744 artillery attacks, he added.”
- SupportedAl-Nuzaili said up to 130 Houthi vehicles and combat assets were damaged or destroyed.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Up to 130 vehicles and combat assets used by the Iran-allied group were damaged or destroyed, he said.”
- SupportedAl Jazeera said it could not verify the battlefield claims.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Al Jazeera could not verify the battlefield claims.”
- SupportedThe WHO said at least 1,771 people had been killed, at least 7,959 wounded and more than 300,000 displaced in Yemeni hostilities since August.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “According to the World Health Organization, at least 1,771 people have been killed in the hostilities in Yemen since August, with at least 7,959 wounded. More than 300,000 people have also been displaced.”
- SupportedThe Houthis claimed to have killed and wounded “a large number” of government-aligned fighters in attacks in Lahij on Tuesday.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The Houthis, for their part, also claimed to have killed and wounded “a large number” of government-aligned fighters in attacks on al-Madaribah and Ras al-Ara areas in the Lahij governorate on Tuesday.”
- SupportedSaree said dozens more government soldiers were killed and wounded in attacks on al-Jawf earlier that day.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Yahya Saree, the Houthi spokesman, said dozens more government soldiers were killed and wounded in attacks on al-Jawf earlier in the day.”
- SupportedSaree accused Saudi-backed forces of launching 109 air strikes and missile attacks and killing and wounding “a large number of women and children”.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Separately, Saree also accused Yemen’s Saudi-backed forces of launching 109 air strikes and missile attacks on the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, as well as on Houthi positions in al-Jawf, Saada, Taiz, Lahij and Marib. He said the attacks killed and wounded “a large number of women and children”.”
- SupportedThe coalition said it intercepted two missiles fired towards Riyadh and another aimed at its southern region.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two missiles fired by the Houthis towards the kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, and another aimed at its southern region.”
- SupportedThe Houthis said they targeted Riyadh and an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The Houthis said they targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq in the kingdom’s Eastern province.”