Saudi-led coalition forces launched a fresh wave of air and missile strikes across Houthi-held areas of Yemen on Saturday, 10 October 2026, hitting Sanaa International Airport, the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and multiple northern provinces, according to Houthi-run broadcaster al-Masirah TV. No immediate casualty figures were available from the targeted sites.

Strikes at Sanaa Airport and Bab al-Mandeb

Al-Masirah TV reported four airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, the main aviation hub in the Houthi-held capital, though details on damage or casualties remained unconfirmed at the time of reporting. A separate four airstrikes struck the Bab al-Mandeb area in southwestern Yemen.

The strait — connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden — is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global shipping traffic. Control over, or the ability to disrupt, the Bab al-Mandeb has made it a recurring flashpoint in the Yemen conflict.

Northern Provinces Also Targeted

In the northwestern province of Saada, which borders Saudi Arabia and serves as a major Houthi stronghold, Saudi missile fire reportedly struck villages in the border district of Razih, al-Masirah said, without providing casualty information. Separately, four missiles hit Harf Sufyan district in the northern province of Amran, while three airstrikes targeted a telecommunications network in the town of Al-Mahabishah in the northwestern province of Hajjah.

Sharp Escalation Along Multiple Fronts

The strikes reflect a marked intensification of Saudi air operations against Houthi-held territory, coinciding with renewed ground fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces — backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition — particularly around Bab al-Mandeb. Notably, the escalation has crossed Yemen's borders, with the Houthis reportedly stepping up missile and drone attacks on airports and other targets inside Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

A Conflict Entering Its Second Decade

Yemen's civil war entered its twelfth year having claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displacing millions. The conflict traces back to late 2014, when the Houthi movement seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which is now headquartered in the southern port city of Aden. Ceasefire efforts, including a UN-brokered truce, have repeatedly stalled, and the latest surge in strikes signals that a durable settlement remains elusive.

With both sides intensifying operations, the international community's attention is likely to return to the Bab al-Mandeb's global shipping implications — and the humanitarian toll on Yemen's civilian population.