At least 38 troops serving Yemen’s internationally recognised government were killed in a series of Houthi attacks on military positions, according to medical sources, in one of the deadliest escalations between the rival sides in years.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement said it launched a large-scale operation against military positions on Thursday, claiming the attacks targeted forces it accused of preparing for an offensive.
The escalation comes amid heightened tensions across the wider region and growing concerns over the security situation around the Red Sea and Gulf.
Houthi Attacks Target Military Camps
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group carried out missile and drone attacks against what he described as Saudi-backed troop concentrations.
The Houthis said their strikes targeted positions in areas including Al Ruwayk, Al Abr and Al Thaniyah, claiming that military camps, weapons depots and vehicles were hit.
The group also claimed that hundreds of Saudi-aligned fighters were killed or wounded. Those claims could not be independently verified.
Medical sources, however, reported a significantly lower confirmed toll, saying at least 38 Yemeni government troops were killed in the attacks.
Yemen Government Vows Retaliation
Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it would respond to the attacks.
The country’s defence ministry said its armed forces would retaliate at a time and location of their choosing, following the missile and drone strikes on military positions.
Yemeni authorities also ordered medical facilities in Marib and Hadramout to increase their readiness to receive wounded personnel.
The latest violence represents a major escalation in fighting between the Houthi movement and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Fighting Intensifies Amid Regional Tensions
The attacks come as the broader Middle East remains tense, with the conflict involving the United States and Iran affecting security conditions across the region.
Maritime traffic through key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, has also been disrupted amid the wider regional crisis.
The Houthis have previously targeted shipping and regional military interests, linking their actions to the wider conflict and developments involving Iran.
One of the Deadliest Clashes Since 2022
Medical sources described Thursday’s violence as one of the deadliest confrontations between the two Yemeni sides since a UN-brokered truce significantly reduced fighting in 2022.
While the ceasefire did not produce a permanent political settlement, it sharply reduced the intensity of the country’s civil war.
The latest attacks raise fresh concerns about whether Yemen could face another period of sustained military escalation.
For now, the full extent of casualties and damage remains unclear, while competing claims from the Houthis and the Yemeni government have yet to be independently verified.
