Yemen's Houthi group has reported that 28 airstrikes struck three provinces over a 24-hour period ending 21 September 2026, as ground battles between Houthi forces and internationally recognised Yemeni government troops continued across multiple fronts simultaneously. The strikes mark a further escalation in one of the world's longest-running conflicts.

Strike Details and Targets

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea stated on Sunday that F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets, operating from Saudi Arabian air bases at Khamis Mushait and Taif, carried out the strikes across the southwestern province of Taiz, the oil-rich northeastern province of Marib, and the northern province of Al-Jawf. Sarea placed the cumulative strike count since the latest escalation began at 760. Saudi Arabia had not commented on the latest figures at the time of reporting.

Separately, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that an airstrike struck a telecommunications tower in Al-Jawf, while areas of northern Saada province along the Saudi border reportedly came under artillery fire.

Ground Battle in Taiz

On the ground, government forces and Houthi fighters remained locked in fierce combat in southwestern Yemen, where frontline positions have shifted repeatedly in recent days. A government military source said on Sunday that government forces had retaken several positions in western Taiz, though the broader front lines remained largely unchanged amid continued fighting.

Houthi Territorial Gains Along the Red Sea Coast

The current intensity follows a rapid Houthi push along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast. The group reportedly seized the Taiz province port city of Mocha on 10 September, before pushing southward to capture Dhubab and seize Mayyun Island — situated in the strategically critical Bab al-Mandab Strait — by 11 September. Government forces are now reportedly attempting to block further Houthi advances along the mountainous approaches to the strait, a chokepoint for global maritime trade.

Background and Broader Context

Yemen's civil war began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and large swathes of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major hostilities, but the latest escalation has unravelled much of that fragile calm. The recent Houthi coastal offensive represents the sharpest territorial shift since that truce took hold. Control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait — through which an estimated 10% of global trade passes — lends the current phase outsized geopolitical significance beyond Yemen's borders.

With government forces struggling to stabilise frontlines and no ceasefire framework currently reported to be active, further escalation in the coming days cannot be ruled out.