What happened

Forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government launched a major Saudi-backed counteroffensive on 5 October under the name Operation Yemen Dawn. Yemeni officials said the operation retook Dhubab and other areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait under Saudi-led coalition air cover; witnesses reported seeing government tanks and forces entering several towns. Saudi coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter aircraft were supporting the operation and described the objective as securing the approaches to the strategic strait. The operation's launch is acknowledged, but battlefield control claims remain provisional while fighting continues. Yemen analyst Hisham al-Omeisy of the European Institute of Peace told Al Jazeera that the campaign would represent a potential turning point if government forces could take territory in the central Houthi-held heartland around Taiz, al-Bayda and Ibb, potentially opening a route toward northern strongholds. He assessed that gains confined to the west coast and southwest would recover territory without dislodging or defeating the Houthis; this is expert analysis, not an established battlefield outcome. In a joint statement after an emergency meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye said they would immediately begin practical implementation of their Makkah Alliance collective-defence commitments and take measures to provide agreed forces and capabilities for rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia. The statement confirms the deployment decision and preparations, but does not establish that foreign forces have arrived, identify their size or composition, or say they will enter Yemen. No closure of Bab el-Mandeb, confirmed attack on a commercial vessel from this offensive, port shutdown or measured effect on oil flows was reported. The Houthis simultaneously claimed retaliatory missile-and-drone operations against Saudi airports, military facilities and the Rabigh refinery, increasing the near-term risk to Saudi energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping. The marker is a regional reference near Dhubab and must not be interpreted as a precise front line or impact coordinate.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.