Yemeni forces report strikes as explosions are heard in Houthi-held Sanaa

On Oct. 3, 2026, at least five blasts were reported in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the Houthis, while internationally recognised government-aligned forces announced attacks on Houthi positions in Sanaa and Saada. Houthi-affiliated media attributed attacks to Saudi Arabia, which backs the government forces.²³⁴⁵

Blasts and competing accounts

AFP correspondents in Sanaa reported hearing at least five explosions, and one said two warplanes had fired missiles towards the capital. Al-Masirah TV, the Houthi-affiliated broadcaster, described the incident as “Saudi aggression” but did not provide information about targets or casualties. Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led coalition had not commented on the alleged strike at the time of the reports.⁴⁸

Yemen’s government-aligned armed forces initially said they had attacked what they called “legitimate, vital military targets” in Sanaa. Subsequent statements said operations were under way against Houthi targets in both Sanaa and Saada, a Houthi stronghold. Al-Masirah separately claimed Saudi aircraft struck a telecommunications network in Saqin district in Saada.³⁵⁷⁸

The accounts leave several details unresolved, including which forces carried out each strike, the locations that were hit and whether there were casualties. Reports that Saudi aircraft were responsible came from Houthi-affiliated media, while the government-aligned military issued its own statements about conducting strikes. The reported military claims could not be independently verified.¹²⁴⁷

Government announces wider operations

Rashad Al Alimi, who leads Yemen’s internationally recognised government, announced on Oct. 4 that military operations had begun to recover remaining Houthi-held territory and extend government authority. The government, based in Aden and backed by Saudi Arabia, controls much of southern and eastern Yemen.²

Government forces also reported 97 targeting operations on fronts around Taiz and Lahij. Their official outlet claimed that 260 Houthi personnel had been neutralised and that 44 military, transport or supply vehicles had been destroyed or damaged. Those figures came from the government side and were not independently verified.²⁷

Fighting was also reported around Taiz. According to France 24, accounts from the two sides indicated that roughly 80 fighters had died there: the Houthis reported 55 fatalities among their forces, and government sources told AFP that 26 troops were killed. These figures were claims from the combatants and their associated sources.¹⁸

Claims of attacks inside Saudi Arabia

The Houthis claimed two operations against Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais area using ballistic missiles and drones. Saudi authorities did not confirm those claimed attacks. A fire was reported at part of an Aramco site south of Riyadh, where firefighters were responding and ambulances and police were reportedly present, but the circumstances were unclear.¹²

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said Saudi Arabia had carried out 50 air and missile attacks against Yemen over 12 hours. The Houthis separately said Saudi forces conducted about 60 strikes against Houthi territory over 24 hours. Saree said strikes against Saudi bases, petroleum installations and concentrations of troops would persist unless attacks on Yemen ceased.²

Conflict resumes after truce

Although a 2022 truce had largely halted major combat, fighting restarted in the context of the broader Iran-US war. In July, the Houthis announced that they were imposing a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and started striking Saudi land and vessels. Saudi Arabia responded with air strikes in Yemen and support for government forces fighting the Houthis.³⁵

Reports on Oct. 3 said Houthi forces had made major gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The renewed operations announced by Al Alimi, the reported strikes in Sanaa and Saada, and fighting around Taiz indicate that combat is taking place across several areas, although territorial and casualty claims remain difficult to verify independently.²³⁷⁸