Yemen’s government forces attack Houthis amid renewed shelling of Marib

What the report says

Yemen’s government forces said they launched attacks on Houthi positions across several front lines after renewed shelling of Marib city, the main urban center in a province that shelters a large share of Yemen’s displaced population. Al Jazeera reported on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, that the counteroffensive came hours after the Houthis resumed missile and drone fire toward civilian areas and military targets around Marib.

According to the Yemeni military and the Health Ministry, the fighting followed Houthi strikes earlier in the week in Hadramout and Marib that killed and wounded government personnel, as well as a later attack that caused civilian casualties. The Houthis said they were targeting a military camp on Marib’s outskirts, while the Yemeni army said it repelled one of the assaults. A military spokesman said the government’s operation was aimed at degrading Houthi forces and protecting civilians.

The escalation has raised concern that Yemen could move back toward wider war after a period of relative quiet. Al Jazeera’s reporting noted that this appears to be the first announced government counteroffensive in months. A Middle East specialist quoted by the broadcaster said recent troop movements and clashes are warning signs that the conflict could expand again, especially given that the 2022 truce has expired.

The United Nations has urged de-escalation and condemned both the missile attacks in Yemen and Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea. More broadly, the renewed fighting highlights how fragile the security situation remains in a war that has never fully ended, even if front-line violence had eased in some areas.