Yemen Offensive Stalls as Attrition Takes Hold After 30 Days
Government forces report 16,100 Houthi casualties, but the rebel group has expanded territory in the south and continues daily missile strikes on Saudi Arabia.
By Renata Mehta ·
One month after launching its major offensive to retake Sanaa, Yemen’s internationally recognized government faces a grinding war of attrition rather than a quick decisive victory. While the city remains largely calm under Houthi control, fighting has intensified in the south, where the rebel group, also known as Ansar Allah, has seized ground in the provinces of Taiz and Lahij.
The conflict began on October 5 when the government announced Operation Dawn of Yemen, aiming to dismantle the Houthi grip on the capital and other key areas. Since then, the Saudi-led coalition has pressed forward with air strikes and ground operations. Mohammed Ahmed, a 40-year-old resident of Sanaa, reported that his initial anxiety has eased, noting that life in the Houthi-held capital has remained mostly stable aside from recurring aerial bombardments.
Military officials claim the campaign has disrupted the Houthis’ core survival strategies. Turki al-Goblan, head of the Saudi Daimumah Center for Studies, stated that the offensive targeted three pillars: the fuel and supply network for combat vehicles, maritime supply routes near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, and tribal alliances around Sanaa. He argued that simultaneous pressure on these areas has made it difficult for the Houthis to replenish their losses, turning attrition into a tool for eventual victory.
The government has quantified the toll on its adversaries. Officials reported that 1,540 Houthis were killed or wounded in the first 24 hours of the operation. By late last week, the cumulative figure reached 16,100 Houthi operatives and commanders. The Houthis have not confirmed these numbers but have maintained a daily campaign of missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, striking airports and disrupting air traffic over the kingdom.
Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, said coalition attacks in Yemen have reached 3,939 since the escalation began. He acknowledged the high cost of the offensive while asserting that the group remains resilient. Yazeed al-Jeddawy, a research manager at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, described the conflict as a prolonged attrition war intertwined with regional tensions involving Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Government forces announced specific territorial gains last week. They claimed control of the Dhubab district in Taiz and key positions near Bab al-Mandeb. On Sunday, they recaptured strategic heights east of al-Hazm, the capital of the northern governorate of al-Jawf. The Presidential Leadership Council reaffirmed its commitment to ending the Houthi coup and restoring state authority across the entire territory.
Colonel Wadah al-Dubaish, spokesperson for the government-aligned Joint Forces on Yemen’s West Coast, said the Houthi expansion in Taiz came at a steep price. He stated that the group’s losses over the past month exceeded their combined losses from previous years, suggesting the rebels had used past ceasefires to mobilize. A recent missile attack killed at least 70 government security recruits in Shabwah, illustrating the continued threat to government-held areas.
