The Royal Saudi Air Force deployed 100 jets to bomb hundreds of targets in support of the ground push, but the Institute for the Study of War has adjusted its assessment to show Houthi coastal defenses are holding. Ansarallah has integrated reconnaissance drones with short-range ballistic missiles to strike military concentrations behind the front lines. To pressure Riyadh into withdrawing support for the counteroffensive, Houthi forces expanded strikes on October 5, targeting at least seven Saudi civilian and military sites, including oil facilities and airports.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Houthi Forces Block Saudi's 100 Jet Drive to Bab el-Mandeb
War13 days ago
The Presidential Leadership Council's counteroffensive toward the Red Sea coast has run aground near the Dhubab airport, with Ansarallah forces stopping a charge by the Southern Giants Brigades. The effort, termed 'Dawn of Yemen,' saw government troops advance 20 km across the coastal plain before being halted by ballistic missile and drone fire in the Ras al-Ara region, leaving Bab el-Mandeb and Mocha port outside government control. Concurrently, Houthi fighters completed the encirclement of hundreds of Saudi-backed troops in Taiz and are currently pushing to seize the remaining surrounding mountains.
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