Yemeni government forces advance in Marib as Houthi shelling hits Taiz

Yemeni government forces have seized strategic positions in the Marib governorate, advancing on the Maas camp facility in the Medghal district and capturing ground north of the Harib district, according to military sources quoted by Al Jazeera.

The offensive, named operation Dawn of Yemen, was launched just over a week ago and follows major gains by the Iran-backed Houthis in September, when the group swept along the Red Sea coast, capturing the port city of Mocha and territory around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the world's most important shipping routes.

Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said the operation aimed to retake all remaining Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa, which the group has controlled since 2014, when the war began.

Military spokesperson Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili said on Monday that the campaign had involved 1,879 strikes, neutralising 950 Houthi fighters and destroying 380 military vehicles. The figures could not be independently verified.

Houthi-affiliated media, for their part, reported air strikes targeting Kamaran Island, the al-Qanawis district in Hodeidah governorate and the Harf Sufyan district in Amran.

In the southwestern governorate of Taiz, where the Houthis keep the city under siege, intense clashes and shelling on residential neighbourhoods have caused dozens of civilian casualties. Government forces and popular resistance fighters are battling across multiple axes, with heavy fighting reported on the western fronts. Residents have been queueing for cooking gas refills amid supply shortages, with hospitals in the city described as near collapse.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Control of Marib and Taiz could determine the trajectory of Yemen's long-running war and the security of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the world's most important shipping routes.
Operation Dawn of Yemen signals the Saudi-backed government's intent to reverse Houthi territorial gains, raising the risk of wider escalation involving regional powers.
The siege of Taiz and the civilian casualties from shelling threaten to deepen one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.

Background

The Yemen conflict dates to 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and forced the internationally recognised government to operate from outside the country. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the government in 2015, while the Houthis have received backing from Iran. More than a decade on, the country remains fragmented, with the Houthis controlling Sanaa and large parts of the north and west, and the humanitarian situation across Yemen remains dire.

Key Perspectives

Yemeni government forces: Present the offensive as a campaign to liberate all Houthi-held territory, including Sanaa, and report steady advances in Marib with heavy losses inflicted on Houthi fighters and equipment. The Houthis: Demonstrated their own military strength in September, capturing Mocha and territory around Bab al-Mandeb, and their media outlets report continuing air strikes on areas under their control, including in Hodeidah and Amran. Critics and humanitarian observers: The civilian toll in Taiz, the siege conditions and growing supply shortages are central concerns, while government casualty figures are difficult to verify independently in a fragmented conflict zone.

What to Watch

Whether government forces consolidate their gains around the Maas camp and press toward Sanaa, or whether the offensive stalls once Houthi reinforcements arrive.
The condition of civilians in Taiz, where hospitals were already reported near collapse and basic supplies are running short.
The response of the conflict's regional backers, particularly Saudi Arabia and Iran, which could determine whether the campaign expands.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Background

Key Perspectives

What to Watch

Sources