A worker inspects a sponge factory after it was hit by a Saudi airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen, on October 4, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
Sanaa: Yemen’s Houthi group reported 106 Saudi air and missile strikes across areas under its control over the past 24 hours, as the internationally recognised government launched a military campaign to retake territory held by the group.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on X that the reported strikes targeted Sanaa and provinces including Al-Jawf and Taiz. He claimed the latest attacks took the total number of Saudi air and missile strikes since the current escalation began to 1,516.
The figures could not be independently verified, and Saudi Arabia has not confirmed carrying out the reported strikes, reports Xinhua news agency.
The latest escalation comes as Houthi forces make further advances in southwestern Yemen. In Taiz province, fighters entered At Turbah after government forces withdrew from the strategic southern city, according to a local security official cited by Xinhua.
Government troops and allied fighters moved to mountainous positions outside the city, while some units retreated towards neighbouring Lahj province. Houthi fighters subsequently took up positions at key locations and along the main routes into and out of At Turbah.
Residents said fighters spread through major streets and around public facilities, while several businesses closed. They also reported that mosque loudspeakers were used to urge residents not to resist.
The capture was the first time the Houthis had taken control of At Turbah since the conflict began in 2014. The group had also advanced through parts of Ash Shamayatayn and Al-Ma’afer districts, taking several positions and forcing government troops to withdraw, according to a Yemeni military official.
The gains follow a Houthi offensive launched in early September, during which the group captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha and Mayyun Island, also known as Perim.
Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the government’s military campaign from Riyadh.
In a televised address, al-Alimi said the government was moving from preparation to active operations after weeks of military mobilisation, with the aim of reclaiming the remaining Houthi-held areas.
The renewed fighting marks a sharp escalation after years of largely frozen front lines and has intensified tensions around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Yemen’s conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia intervened in March 2015 at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.
A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major hostilities, but the conflict remained unresolved. The latest territorial advances, government offensive and reported Saudi strikes have now brought renewed large-scale fighting to several fronts.
This post was last modified on October 5, 2026 11:22 am