At least 30 soldiers belonging to Yemen’s internationally recognised government have been killed following a series of coordinated missile and drone strikes launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The pre-dawn attacks, which targeted military infrastructure across Hadramawt and Marib provinces, also left more than 50 service personnel wounded, with medical authorities warning that the death toll could rise further as search operations continue.
According to reports from Qatar-based news agency Al Jazeera, citing Yemeni government and military sources, the strikes specifically targeted defensive outposts and active military camps. Military officials confirmed that Houthi forces launched eight missiles from positions in Al-Jawf province, north of Marib. The multi-pronged barrage struck strategic locations, including the Al-Thiniya and Al-Abr zones in Hadramawt, alongside the Al-Ruq area in Marib.
Yemeni military commanders acknowledged the heavy casualties, framing the Houthi offensive as a direct counter-attack in response to recent government operations against rebel strongholds. Concurrently, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the assault, stating that the combined drone and ballistic missile strikes inflicted extensive casualties among government ranks and destroyed key facilities.
This violent escalation marks a sharp departure from nearly four years of relative operational calm between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces. Regional security analysts note that tensions have intensified rapidly across multiple battlegrounds in recent weeks. Alongside renewed ground fighting, the Houthis recently declared a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, launching attacks against commercial and maritime vessels associated with Yemen’s northern neighbor.
Yemen has been embroiled in a ruinous civil conflict since late 2014, when Houthi forces captured the capital, Sanaa, effectively displacing the international government. The war expanded dramatically in 2015 following the intervention of a Saudi-led military coalition aimed at reinstating the government. Despite years of intensive air campaigns and land battles, the coalition was unable to fully dismantle the Houthi structure, leaving the country politically fragmented. The latest surge in violence in Marib—a vital, oil-rich province long considered the central pillar of government control—threatens to unravel the fragile security status quo maintained since the 2022 truce.
