Houthi fighters have seized control of 15,000 square kilometers of new territory across Yemen over a 37-day span of intense conflict with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-backed Yemeni military, according to a comprehensive report by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The current escalation began on September 7, 2026, when Houthi drones and missiles struck multiple Saudi cities. Over the past month and a week, Houthi forces have maintained relentless attacks on Saudi airports, oil refineries, and military installations—including strikes reaching Riyadh, Mecca, Medina, and key southern hubs like Abha, Najran, and Jizan. Data compiled by NDTV Datafy indicates that Houthi forces have launched more than two dozen major cross-border strikes from over 1,250 kilometers away, damaging at least nine Saudi energy infrastructure facilities and exposing severe gaps in Saudi air defense and security reliance on the United States.
Experts from the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies described the period as a “completely different and decisive phase,” warning that the conflict threatens the future sovereignty of Yemen. While Saudi warplanes have launched retaliatory airstrikes supporting internationally recognized government forces—who secured localized gains in early October—analysts caution that holding captured ground and sustaining long-term counter-offensives will heavily test Riyadh's political resolve and military endurance, with significant potential ramifications for global energy supplies and Red Sea shipping routes.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
