Yemen government forces claim new advances as Houthi border attacks resume

What the report says

Yemen’s government forces said they have made new gains against Houthi fighters on several fronts, including in the southern governorate of Lahj and in the northern area of al-Jawf, according to Al Jazeera’s report published on 9 November 2026. The National Shield Forces said they captured Houthi-held positions on the al-Muhawala front in western Lahj after a major assault, while government units in al-Jawf claimed recent progress east of the provincial capital, al-Hazm.

The report said the fighting is part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, a campaign launched on 5 October to reverse Houthi advances and pressure the group on multiple battlefields. Al Jazeera noted that the claims of battlefield losses and casualties could not be independently verified. A political analyst interviewed by the broadcaster said the clashes may be weakening Houthi capacity, though the group still appears able to launch attacks.

The escalation also has a humanitarian dimension, especially around Taiz, where the Houthis have continued to surround the city. Al Jazeera cited reports of civilian injuries from shelling and gunfire, as well as strikes on an ambulance that reportedly killed a patient and his father and wounded a paramedic.

Cross-border attacks have also resumed, with the Houthis said to have launched missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting incoming weapons. The developments underscore how the Yemen war remains a wider regional conflict more than a decade after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014.