Yemen war: What’s the latest on the battlefield?

What the report says

Yemen’s war has entered another intense phase, with fighting concentrated in the country’s southwest and along the Red Sea coast, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting published on 6 October 2026. The Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government says it has taken several strategic areas from the Houthis near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while the Houthis say they are holding their battlefield gains and reject the government’s account.

The main clashes are around Taiz, Mocha and Dhubab in Taiz governorate, as well as farther north toward Hodeidah. Government forces said they captured mountains south of Taiz and claimed control of Mocha and positions near the strait during a rapid counteroffensive supported by Saudi air strikes. Al Jazeera noted it could not independently verify the full extent of those gains. A former UN adviser quoted by the outlet said holding Mocha could be important because of its position near the Red Sea and as a possible launch point for further advances.

The fighting follows Houthi advances in September, when the group seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. In response, the government announced an operation called Dawn of Yemen, aimed at retaking Houthi-held areas, including Sanaa, which the Houthis have controlled since 2014. The Houthis have also claimed strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia, while Riyadh said attacks hit airports in Jazan and Najran, causing minor injuries.

The escalation is worsening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, with the UN migration agency and the World Health Organization warning of large displacement, rising casualties and mounting pressure on an already fragile health system.