Government Forces Reclaim Yemen Coast While Houthis Strike Saudi Arabia

Fighting rages along Yemen's western coast as government forces push back against Houthi control. The internationally recognised administration claims to have reclaimed key territories near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Iran-aligned fighters. A Saudi-backed coalition announced it seized several strategic positions in this vital area. Meanwhile, Houthi militants reported striking airports and oil sites inside Saudi Arabia. Three people suffered injuries during these southern airport attacks according to Riyadh officials.

Yemen's hospitals continue to struggle with persistent power outages while the conflict drags on. The government aims for Sanaa but faces a significant hurdle after recent defeats. This new offensive follows major gains made by Houthi groups in September when they swept across the Red Sea coast. They captured the strategic port city of Mocha and territory around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait which serves as one of the world's most important shipping routes.

Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, described the new operation as Dawn of Yemen. He announced this push on Sunday with a goal to retake all remaining Houthi-held territory including the capital city. The group has controlled Sanaa since 2014 according to international records. So where does the fighting stand right now and what might happen next in this long war?

The heaviest combat has taken place in southwestern Yemen particularly along the Red Sea coast and around Taiz. Government forces belonging to the internationally-recognised administration said they took control of mountains including al-Manzara, al-Ashari and Dhiban in Haifan south of Taiz. They worked with Popular Resistance Forces to achieve these objectives during their rapid counteroffensive.

Earlier reports claimed government troops captured Mocha and Dhubab both located in Taiz Governorate. They also took positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait according to sources backing the Saudi coalition. Government forces backed by heavy air strikes reached the outskirts of Mocha on Monday as Houthi fighters retreated toward highlands. Four separate sources told Reuters news agency about these movements.

Yemen's Defence Ministry later said the city had fallen completely into government hands. A Houthi military spokesman did not reveal specifics but claimed the group remained in control of its battlefield gains. He described reports from opponents as fabricated heroics on Tuesday without providing verification. Al Jazeera has not independently verified the full extent of these territorial changes yet.

Fernando Carvajal, a former UN Security Council adviser on Yemen, said the battle for Mocha will be key to the next phase of fighting. This location serves as a vital sign if government forces can hold it according to his assessment. Southern Giants and other southern forces lead this effort while Houthi fighters surround the city from three sides with the Red Sea nearby. We need to wait just a little bit more to see if indeed the government forces can hold this city then use it as a staging point to take on Houthis on other fronts.

The fighting has also extended northwards along the Red Sea coast to Hodeidah which has been under Houthi control since October 2014. The group captured the capital Sanaa weeks before securing that port city. Saudi-led coalition forces struck Houthi military targets in the governorate including weapons depots and facilities used to store explosive-laden boats and naval mines. Al-Maliki said the operation had thwarted a planned attack on waterways in the southern Red Sea region.

A coalition spokesperson confirmed its naval units launched a military operation inside Hodeidah. At the same time, the Houthis claimed their fighters executed dozens of strikes Tuesday against enemy reinforcements located east of al-Jawf Governorate. They did not specify how many people died in those attacks.

Houthi-affiliated media reported that the group has increased its assault on Saudi Arabia. Their forces hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery near Rabigh, Abha airport, and the Khamis Mushait military base using missiles and drones. No comment from Saudi officials addressed those specific claims yet.

However, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority stated that two attacks struck Monday evening targeted the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport. Those incidents caused three minor injuries.

What does life look like for civilians on the ground? The fighting is making an already terrible humanitarian crisis worse. The UN migration agency said more than 184,000 people have been forced to move since hostilities resumed. According to the World Health Organization, recent combat has killed at least 959 people and wounded over 4,200 others. Medical care in this war-torn nation is suffering severe disruption. Annette Heinzelmann, WHO emergency director for the eastern Mediterranean region, warned that Yemen's latest escalation is pushing its fragile health system toward breaking point.

How are other nations reacting? Saudi Arabia's regional allies have responded quickly. Turkiye and Pakistan agreed to send military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. That pact, signed in August, aims to strengthen collective deterrence. It says an armed attack against Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Turkiye counts as an attack on all three countries. The United States remains one of Riyadh's closest allies and is reportedly providing intelligence support. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Monday that Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government have a right to defend themselves. He added that Yemeni forces will try to retake territory they lost earlier in the conflict.

The risks to communities remain high as violence spreads across borders and essential services crumble under pressure.