Yemeni Army Neutralizes 740 Houthi Attacks and Kills 200 in 24 Hours as Missile Strike Kills 73 Recruits
Yemeni government forces reported neutralizing over 740 Houthi attacks and killing 200 rebels in 24 hours while a Houthi ballistic missile strike on a military training camp in Shabwa killed 73 recruits, as the UN warned of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in besieged Taiz where road closures have blocked vital supplies.
Military Developments in Yemen
Yemeni army operations destroyed or damaged 90 Houthi vehicles and military assets. [1] The Yemeni army says over 740 attacks were neutralized and 200 Houthis were killed in a 24-hour period. [1] A Houthi ballistic missile strike on the al-Alam military training camp in Shabwa killed 73 recruits aged between 18 and 20. [3] The recruits were lining up in formation for a training session when the strike hit, and more than 200 recruits were wounded. [3] The Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on the camp. [3] The camp is located in the Jardan district north of the provincial capital Ataq and sits on a crucial supply route to the government-controlled province of Marib. [3] Shabwa, Marib and neighboring Hadramawt province form what has been dubbed the Yemeni government's "triangle of power," a strategic area that contains the country's oil and gas production facilities. [3] The recruits were being trained to provide security in the province and not for combat operations. [3]
Siege and Humanitarian Crisis in Taiz
The UN human rights chief Volker Turk stated the Houthi siege has put Taiz civilians at grave risk, sent prices soaring and left residents without food and necessities. [3] A Houthi strike on a residential area in Taiz killed two teenage girls and wounded six others. [3] The Humanitarian Coordinator Laurent Bukera issued a statement expressing deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Taiz. [5] Road closures and insecurity are preventing vital supplies including fuel from entering the city. [5] The health system is close to collapse with shortages threatening hospital power and medical oxygen and putting hundreds of patients lives at risk. [5] The price of what food and fuel remains has more than doubled and water production in the city has halved. [5] Bukera called on the Houthi de facto authorities to urgently open safe passage for commercial goods food medicine and humanitarian assistance to reach Taiz city without obstruction. [5] Turk urged the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces to avoid using explosive weapons in areas where they could hit civilians and civilian infrastructure. [3] Humanitarian aid must be immediately allowed to enter the city and its passage must be facilitated while civilians wishing to leave must be allowed to do so freely and safely. [3]
UN warns of deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen's Taiz due to road closures blocking vital supplies. — Source: anadolu
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia
Houthi attacks have forced repeated closures of Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. [3] Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the capital. [3] Saudi authorities issued an attack warning for the capital area late Tuesday morning and an explosion was then heard in northern Riyadh where King Khalid International Airport is located. [3] Repeated Houthi attacks this month have forced the airport to suspend operations. [3] The all-clear was given shortly afterward. [3] Alone the airport of Riyadh has been attacked 20 times by the Houthis since early October according to a coalition led by Riyadh. [4] On 11 October an attack on the Riyadh airport killed 13 people and injured hundreds. [4] The Houthis have also fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia which has struggled to counter the attacks even with far superior U.S.-supplied arms. [3]
International Military Support for Saudi Arabia
The UK is expanding military support for Saudi Arabia with RAF jets conducting defensive air patrols against Houthi attacks but will not strike Houthi targets on the ground. [3] Britain had already offered to help with in-air refueling of Saudi planes. [3] U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the British government would expand its support to Saudi Arabia to include defensive patrols by RAF jets to protect Saudi cities from attacks but would not strike Houthi targets. [3] The Egyptian government also will deploy air defense systems and aircraft to help repel missiles and drones fired toward Saudi Arabia but will not deploy ground troops to Yemen. [3] Tom Barrack the U.S. envoy to Syria and Iraq said the United States was not prepared to send troops to help Saudi Arabia. [3]
Yemeni army forces neutralize Houthi attacks in Shabwa amid missile strike on military training camp. — Source: gdelt
Broader Conflict Context and Impacts
The conflict resumed after Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Sanaa airport in July shattered the 2022 ceasefire with over 150,000 killed since 2014. [3] Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. [3] A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in an attempt to restore the government to power. [3] The conflict killed more than 150,000 people and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. [3] With the Iran war that the USA and Israel began at the end of February the unclear conflict in Yemen also escalated again. [4] The Houthis took control of large parts of the coast at the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait during an offensive. [4] At the same time they intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia. [4]
Economic and Vision 2030 Setbacks for Saudi Arabia
The Saudi government had to cancel the investors conference Future Investment Initiative. [4] The decision was justified by the chairwoman of the conference Maha bint Mischari on X with a deep commitment to partners members speakers and delegates. [4] The multi-day event was supposed to open in just under a week. [4] The investors conference Future Investment Initiative is considered the most important event for Saudi Arabia to attract companies and investors from abroad. [4] Last year the organizers counted more than 8,000 participants. [4] The recent security problems stand in the way of these plans. [4] Other major events were also canceled or postponed in the course of the escalation in neighboring Yemen including a summit of the European Union with the Gulf Cooperation Council and several sporting events. [4] The Houthi attacks endanger the Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [4] The ongoing uncertainty is becoming a problem for the crown prince because his economic plans depend largely on Saudi Arabia being regarded as a safe and stable country for tourists and investors. [4]
What to watch next: The UN continues to call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure to respect international humanitarian law and to allow the safe and sustained passage of humanitarian assistance and essential commercial goods into and within Taiz while Saudi Arabia weighs options between renewed military pressure and negotiations that have so far failed to produce a lasting solution.
