Houthi Rebels Strike Government Forces, Raising Fears of Major War in Yemen

Sanaa, Yemen – Missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces struck military sites inside Yemeni territory on Thursday (August 6), killing at least 30 government soldiers and wounding 15 others in the first attack of its kind in years.

The assaults targeted military camps and government positions in Hadramout and Marib, marking a major escalation in the war between the Houthis and the Yemeni government.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised address that the attacks killed “hundreds” and “destroyed a large number of camps and stores.”

He alleged the strikes were carried out after Houthi forces “detected a major military mobilization by Saudi Arabia” aimed at escalation.

The two sides have been at war since the Houthis and their allies seized the capital Sanaa in September 2014, with a Saudi-led coalition intervening in March 2015 to support the government.

Fierce fighting had subsided in recent years, but there has been a consolidation of the government and some southern forces since the United Arab Emirates left Yemen in 2025. The Houthis have gradually become involved in the regional war between the US and Israel against Iran, a key ally of the group, including declaring a naval blockade of Saudi ports and attacking in the Bab al-Mandeb strait last month.

Saree said Houthi forces are now on high alert for any military developments, as pro-government forces appear to be preparing to retaliate for Thursday's attacks and the re-emergence of a war that was largely dormant in Yemen.

‘Neither peace nor war’

The attacks on government forces in Marib and Hadramout mark a turning point in the Yemeni conflict, with analysts telling Al Jazeera that Yemen appears to be moving closer to a broader confrontation.

Abdul Rahman Saleh, 34, a resident of Sanaa, said war has now become tangible for Yemenis. “It is no longer a potential threat. It has become a reality. We have heard explosions several times in recent days in Sanaa. We follow casualty figures on the news. The parties boast about their deadly attacks on media,” he told Al Jazeera.

“It reminds us of the period before the 2022 ceasefire. Each side is eager for revenge. As a civilian, I feel it will take a miracle to stop this war now.”

Fuad Mussed, a Yemeni researcher on political and military affairs, believes the recent Houthi attacks on government military camps are evidence that the group has made a final decision to enter an open confrontation with its rivals.

“The Houthi message is clear: the choice of escalation both inside Yemen and outside,” Mussed told Al Jazeera. “As they expand attacks internally, they continue to target ships in the Red Sea and sites in Saudi Arabia. So it can be said that the state of neither peace nor war has ended.”

Although the war in Yemen has largely stalled since April 2022, when rival parties reached a UN-brokered ceasefire, both sides have expressed a desire for a decisive military battle in recent months.

Ahmed Nagi, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the Houthis' expansion of cross-border attacks on government forces means the threat of all-out war between the two sides is no longer far-fetched.

“While there is still a chance for both sides to return to a policy of deterrence, the problem is that each new escalation makes it much more difficult. If this pattern continues and the Houthis increase attacks, the risk of a new round of war will rise significantly,” Nagi told Al Jazeera.

“Based on what we see today, the indicators toward new conflict are stronger than those toward de-escalation.”

‘War is a priority’

Sheikh Othman Majali, a member of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, said there can be no prospects for peace, security, stability, development, coexistence, or national cooperation as long as the “terrorist Houthi militia project” continues to threaten Yemen and the region.

“This can only be achieved by confronting and overthrowing this militia, and stopping the harm and crimes it inflicts on our people and our region,” Majali told Yemeni state television.

Saddam Al-Huraibi, a Yemeni political commentator, argued that all talk of peace in Yemen today is no longer relevant, and the Houthi attack on government soldiers on Thursday was “a clear message that war is a priority” for the group.

“Yemenis have waited for years for the Houthis and the Yemeni government to reach a peace agreement or implement a peace roadmap. Now the Houthis have opened a real war, shattering all prospects for peace,” he told Al Jazeera.

“They have used years of peace negotiations to accumulate and manufacture weapons relentlessly. This makes them ready to confront local rivals and capable of carrying out attacks as far as Israel and Saudi Arabia. It is not easy to persuade them to abandon the path of war.”

Al-Huraibi said he believes both the international community and Saudi Arabia have given the Houthis too much time to agree to peace proposals. Houthi officials have said the presence of any militia or military units linked to Saudi Arabia outside the control of the Sanaa administration is unacceptable.

The lack of response by the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia to recent Houthi escalations could be seen as a sign of weakness, he said.

“Treating silence in the face of Houthi attacks on Yemeni forces or Saudi facilities as strategic patience is meaningless. If this stance continues, it shows the impotence of the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia, and this will cost them the trust of the people,” Al-Huraibi argued.

The battle for Marib

Marib has once again emerged as a focal point of the conflict, with deadly clashes erupting on frontlines in recent days. Control of the north-central province today could be an existential battle for the Houthis, Adel Dashela, a researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera.

“Based on today's escalation and the attacks on government camps in Hadramout and Marib, it is clear that the Houthi group is heading toward a major military escalation targeting oil and gas areas in Marib,” Dashela said.

“Every indication points to an imminent ground war between government forces and the Houthi group, unless there is a breakthrough in the crisis – a scenario that currently seems unlikely.”

The Houthi group said in a statement on Thursday that it would not “tolerate” any Saudi military presence inside Yemeni borders and that it has “the legitimate right to confront any hostile move that threatens its sovereignty and security.”

The Houthis may have an advantage in missile capabilities, Dashela said, but the level of violence would be immense if a major war with the government erupted.

“An all-out outbreak on all fronts would make it difficult for the group to cope with government forces. Therefore, if such a war breaks out, it will not resemble past conflicts; instead, it will be far bloodier,” Dashela said.

Shrinking room for restraint

As the Houthis prepare for war, Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government have prioritized de-escalation over military response, despite some limited attacks on the group.

“Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government appear to remain committed to a policy of deterrence, and they may be testing this political approach to its limits,” Nagi said.

“The question is how long they can sustain that strategy. That remains unclear, especially as they continue to bolster their position by building alliances and strengthening military units along frontlines.”

If the current pattern of escalation continues, pressure on both Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government to respond more forcefully will increase, Nagi added.

“Whether that means limited military action or a broader strategic shift remains to be seen, but the room for continued restraint is narrowing.”