Yemeni pro-government forces backed by Saudi air strikes captured the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha on Oct.
5, 2026.
The operation is part of a sweeping military campaign to reclaim Houthi-held territories.
Supported by a Saudi-led military coalition, the National Shield, Giants Brigades, and Tihama Resistance forces secured the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait during the operation.
Hours before taking Mokha, the military seized Dhubab airport located 45 kilometers to the south.
The push follows the launch of Operation Yemen Dawn, announced by the head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council to liberate the nation.
The announcement came after Houthi forces severed a key mountain road near Taiz and launched ballistic missiles at Saudi oil facilities.
Regional Response and Coalition Strikes
Regional defense pact committees involving Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan agreed to rapidly deploy military forces to the kingdom following escalated Houthi drone and missile strikes.
The coalition fighter jets have provided continuous support, claiming the destruction of 324 targets since the start of the offensive.
However, Houthi-run media reported civilian casualties from air strikes in Sanaa and denied government advances in Dhubab.
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam warned that Saudi Arabia must bear full accountability for the escalated bombardment.
Houthi authorities warned civilian airlines that Saudi airspace has become an active theatre of operations.
Meanwhile, Leadership Council President Rashad al-Alimi stated that de-escalation efforts were exhausted.
Since August, renewed fighting has killed at least 959 people and displaced another 197,000, unravelling a four-year informal ceasefire.
