Houthis kill dozens of Yemeni troops in deadliest attacks since 2022 truce, stoking regional fears
Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed dozens of Yemeni government soldiers in missile and drone attacks on August 6-7, the deadliest since the 2022 truce, while cross-border strikes on Saudi Arabia and a new three-way defense pact raise fears of wider regional conflict.
Thursday's offensive
Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched their deadliest attacks on Yemeni government forces since the 2022 UN-brokered truce on August 6, firing eight ballistic missiles from al-Jawf governorate at 2pm local time (11:00 GMT). The missiles struck camps belonging to the Homeland Shield Forces, the Emergency Forces, and the First Military Region in Hadramout province, as well as targets in Marib. A military source reported 58 soldiers killed and dozens wounded, while AFP, cited by Deutsche Welle, put the toll at 61 dead. Al Jazeera's Yemen affairs editor Ahmed al-Shalafi reported that government sources counted at least 30 soldiers killed and 15 injured, with numbers expected to rise.
The Houthis claimed the attacks were retaliation for what they described as a reinforcement of Saudi-backed government troops. Marib province, rich in oil resources and divided between the two camps since a 2021 Houthi assault, was one of the most active front lines before the truce and has returned to violence. The Houthis also targeted Hadramout province in the south.
Cross-border strikes on Saudi Arabia
A Houthi attack on the Saudi border city of Najran on Thursday wounded 11 civilians, including a four-year-old child, as well as two Egyptians, a Yemeni, and a Pakistani national, according to Saudi authorities. Saudi coalition spokesman General Turki al-Malki called the strikes terrorist aggressions and warned of a military response.
The coalition will continue to take all necessary deterrent measures against these terrorist aggressions in order to ensure the protection of civilians.
The Najran attack was described as unprecedented in the kingdom since the end of the truce. Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer said on X on Friday that the group would continue targeting Saudi military buildups to pressure Riyadh into lifting its blockade on Yemen.
Friday's renewed assault
On August 7, the Houthis launched at least 12 fresh missile attacks on Hadramout and Marib provinces, according to Al Jazeera. RFI reported that more than 10 missiles and seven suicide drones targeted government army bases, with artillery fire and ground combat also reported. Three soldiers were killed and four wounded in Marib, while a separate strike on the city of Marib killed two civilians and injured 14, according to Yemen's health minister Qassem Bahaibah, who called the Houthis a "terrorist militia" on X. The Yemeni Defense Ministry said its forces shot down several Houthi drones over Marib.
Bahaibah said authorities had instructed all health facilities to raise alert levels. The toll of civilian casualties was preliminary. Marib hosts the largest number of displaced families in Yemen, according to the UN refugee agency. The Yemeni Defense Ministry promised a military response would come at the appropriate place and time.
- Houthis fire 8 missiles from al-Jawf at 2pm local time, striking military camps in Hadramout and Marib, killing dozens of soldiers
- Houthi strike on Najran in Saudi Arabia wounds 11 civilians including a 4-year-old
- Houthis launch 12+ missiles on Hadramout and Marib; 3 soldiers and 2 civilians killed
- Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign joint defense pact treating attack on any as attack on all
Regional response and intelligence warnings
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense pact on Friday, declaring that an attack on any of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all. The agreement came as a senior Saudi official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said intelligence suggests the Houthis and Iraqi armed groups may launch new attacks under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, potentially targeting energy infrastructure, ports, and airports.
Yemen researcher Afrah Nasser wrote in an analysis for the nonprofit DAWN on Friday that Iran is scaling up pressure on the United States in Yemen through its close ally.
The escalation is directly connected to regional developments.
Maritime disruption
Fewer tankers have transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since this week's attacks, according to shipping data from analytics firm Kpler. Around 12% of global trade, including a quarter of container traffic, once passed through the strait linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The waterway had served as a pressure release valve since the start of the US-Iran war, with more tankers routing through it as the Strait of Hormuz became contested. Experts have warned that if ships fear traversing Bab el-Mandeb, two of the world's most important maritime routes will be effectively disrupted, compounding the crisis facing commercial shipping and the global oil supply.
