Yemeni Government Forces Report 1,860 Houthi Fighters Neutralized in Counter-Offensive

Yemeni government forces said in a social media post that they carried out 2,103 “precise targeting operations.”

Published On 8 Oct 20268 Oct 2026

Yemeni government forces report they have “neutralised” 1,860 Houthi fighters since launching a large-scale counter-offensive aimed at recapturing territory held by the rebel group.

The spokesperson for the internationally recognised government’s army stated in a social media post early Thursday local time that forces conducted 2,103 “precise targeting operations” against Houthi military positions across multiple fronts as part of the ongoing “Dawn of Yemen” operation.

Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced on Sunday the launch of the “Dawn of Yemen” operation to retake all Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Iran-backed group has controlled since 2014.

Recent battles have concentrated around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route that has grown in importance for energy exports since the conflict between the US and Iran restricted trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

Government-aligned forces began an operation Tuesday to seize strategic territory near the strait and around the city of Mocha, which the Houthis captured in September.

Coalition targeting

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said Wednesday it destroyed 82 Houthi military targets in the Yemeni governorates of Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib.

The coalition spokesperson said in a statement the targets included ballistic missile sites — among them “11 mountain-based ballistic missile storages in Saada, command and control centres, communication systems, missile and weapons storages”.

The new operation followed Houthi attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, according to the spokesperson.

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the attacks on the two airports killed three people.

One person was killed and eight wounded in an attack on King Khalid International Airport, and two were killed and 28 wounded in an attack on facilities at Abha airport, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

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