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Yemen War: Live Tracker

Yemen's government and the Saudi-led coalition say they have begun an offensive to retake the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and have retaken ground on the Red Sea coast. The Houthis deny at least part of that, and they advanced on the same coast and around Taiz in recent weeks. This page records what has been reported, who reported it, and how sure we are. Our neutral background page on the war is at /live/yemen-saudi-houthis/. We update this tracker at least once a day while the fighting continues.

Checked once a day, around 06:00 East Africa Time (03:00 GMT). Last check: 6 Oct 2026, 07:14 EAT (04:14 GMT). Latest new development added: 6 Oct 2026, 07:14 EAT (04:14 GMT).

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New to this story? The background in one minute

The Houthis took Sanaa in 2014 and Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 but failed to dislodge them. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely held until it collapsed in July 2026, and the fighting has since focused on the Red Sea coast and Taiz.

  1. 2014

    The Houthis take Sanaa and have controlled it and much of Yemen's populous northwest since.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)

  2. 2015

    Saudi Arabia intervenes at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government, but fails to dislodge the Houthis.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)

  3. 2022

    A UN-brokered truce brings years of relative calm.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)

  4. July 2026

    The truce collapses and fighting resumes, displacing more than 100,000 people.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · Al Jazeera, 8 September 2026: Yemeni forces launch counteroffensive

Who's who: the groups and the acronyms
Houthis (Ansar Allah)
An Iran-aligned armed group that has controlled Sanaa and much of the northwest since 2014. Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)
PLC
Presidential Leadership Council. The executive body of Yemen's internationally recognised government, chaired by Rashad al-Alimi. Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)
Saudi-led coalition
The alliance, led by Saudi Arabia since 2015, that supports the internationally recognised government. Its spokesman is Major-General Turki al-Maliki. Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · CNN, 4 October 2026
What we know now
  • Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced on 4 October a campaign to retake all territory held by the Houthis, and on 5 October said it had begun a "strategic" offensive on the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.
  • The Houthis have held Sanaa and much of the populous northwest since 2014. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 brought years of relative calm until it collapsed in July 2026. More than 100,000 people have been displaced since then, according to Al Jazeera.
  • In September the Houthis launched an offensive that, according to Al Jazeera, captured the port of Mocha, key islands in the Bab al-Mandab strait and about 150 km of Red Sea coastline. The government's claims of retaken ground follow those Houthi advances.
  • On 5 October the government said it had retaken Dhubab and Mocha. The Houthis denied the Dhubab claim. We found no independent confirmation, such as satellite images or neutral observers, of who holds either place today.
  • Near Taiz, a government-held city described as besieged, military sources told Reuters the Houthis advanced on hilltops over the 48 hours to 4 October. AFP quoted security sources saying they had cut the main supply route to Aden and effectively encircled the city, and the Houthis claimed to have taken the highway.
  • The Saudi-led coalition says about 100 of its warplanes joined the offensive and destroyed 324 "high-value" Houthi targets. These figures are the coalition's own.

Where things stand: a map of reported positions

Where things stand: a map of reported positionsMap of Yemen and the southern Red Sea. Numbered dots mark places and who is reported to hold them: Sanaa, Hodeidah and Saada reported held by the Houthis, Aden reported held by the government, Marib held by the government with fighting to the north, Taiz contested with the supply road to Aden reportedly cut, and Mocha, Dhubab and the Bab al-Mandab strait where the government claims gains that the Houthis dispute and that are not independently verified. Red dashed circles mark places where fighting is reported.SAUDI ARABIADJIBOUTISOMALIARED SEAGULF OF ADENYEMENHouthis reported tohave taken ~150 km ofthis coast (Al Jazeera)1Sanaa2Hodeidah3Mocha456Taiz7Aden8Marib9Saada
Positions as reported on 5 October 2026. This is not a verified control map. No such map exists, and control of several places is disputed. Dots show who is reported to hold a place, or who claims it. Governorates are not shaded because control inside them is split and changing. Red circles and the position of Dhubab are approximate. Al Jazeera published its own control map on 5 October, linked below. Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

Scroll or pinch to move around the map
  1. 1 Sanaa. Held by the Houthis since 2014. The government announced a "strategic offensive" on the capital on 5 October, and the Houthis say Saudi Arabia carried out 106 strikes in 24 hours. We found no report of a change in control.
  2. 2 Hodeidah. Houthi-held Red Sea port. The Saudi-led coalition said on 5 October that it attacked the city. We found no report of a change in control.
  3. 3 Mocha. The Houthis took the port on 10 September as government forces withdrew, according to Al Jazeera, with three government sources confirming it to Reuters. The government said on 5 October that its forces had retaken it. We found no independent confirmation of who holds it today.
  4. 4 Dhubab (position approximate). The government said on 5 October that it had retaken the district and its airport. The Houthis denied the announcement. Not independently verified.
  5. 5 Bab al-Mandab strait. The Houthis seized key islands in the strait in mid-September, according to Al Jazeera. The government and coalition say they now hold key positions around it, and the coalition says it provides air cover. The UN Security Council condemned Houthi advances near the strait on 18 September. Not independently verified.
  6. 6 Taiz. A government-held city that France 24 describes as besieged from the north, east and west. Reuters sources say the Houthis advanced on nearby hilltops, and AFP quotes security sources, and three Yemeni military sources told France 24, that the main road to Aden is cut and the city effectively encircled. The Houthis claim to have taken the highway.
  7. 7 Aden. The interim capital of the internationally recognised government, according to Al Jazeera. The road linking it to Taiz is reportedly cut.
  8. 8 Marib. The city has been held by the government since 2015 (background). On 5 October government forces attacked Houthi positions on the Raghwan front to the north, a military source told Al Jazeera.
  9. 9 Saada. The Houthi heartland in the far north. The government army says it carried out operations in Saada governorate. We found no report of a change in control, and its casualty figures could not be verified.

Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · The National, 5 October 2026 · CNN, 4 October 2026 · Al Jazeera, 8 September 2026: Yemeni forces launch counteroffensive · Wikipedia, Marib campaign (background) · Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026: government forces report recapture of Mocha · France 24, 4 October 2026

The fronts

Red Sea coast: Mocha, Dhubab, Bab al-Mandab

Claimed

Government says it has retaken Dhubab and Mocha. The Houthis deny the Dhubab claim.

The government said on 5 October that its forces regained the Dhubab district near the Bab al-Mandab strait and later that it had retaken the port of Mocha. A government spokesman said forces had "succeeded in controlling Bab al-Mandeb" and regained a key road between Dhubab and Mocha. The Houthis denied the Dhubab announcement. In mid-September the Houthis had swept across parts of western Yemen, seizing Mocha and key islands in the strait, according to Al Jazeera. The coalition says it is giving air cover over the strait. The UN Security Council condemned Houthi advances near the strait on 18 September.

As of 5 October 2026

Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · The National, 5 October 2026 · Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026: government forces report recapture of Mocha · CNN, 4 October 2026

Taiz and the road to Aden

Reported

Houthis reported to have encircled besieged, government-held Taiz and cut the road to Aden.

Military sources told Reuters that over the 48 hours to 4 October the Houthis advanced against government and local forces on strategic hilltops near Taiz, pushing along the last road linking the city with Aden. AFP quoted security sources saying the Houthis had effectively encircled the government-held city after cutting its main supply route, and the Houthis claimed to have taken the highway. France 24 calls Taiz besieged. Al Jazeera's Yemen bureau chief says Houthi operations in the rural areas around Taiz use guerrilla tactics to ease pressure on the coastal front and tighten the blockade of the road. The coalition said it carried out 97 attacks on Houthi reinforcements around Taiz and the Tor al-Baha front on 4 October.

As of 5 October 2026

Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · France 24, 4 October 2026 · CNN, 4 October 2026

Marib and the north

Reported

Escalating fighting on the Raghwan front north of Marib.

A military source told Al Jazeera that government forces attacked Houthi positions on the Raghwan front in the north of Marib governorate on 5 October, with air raids near Mount Helan and on an arms depot and reinforcements northwest of Marib. The government army says its forces carried out 1,122 operations in Saada, al-Jawf and Taiz governorates and along the west coast and "neutralised" 1,747 Houthi fighters. Al Jazeera notes that these figures could not be independently verified.

As of 5 October 2026

Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)

Saudi Arabia and the air war

Claimed

Coalition air strikes on Houthi areas; Houthis claim strikes on Saudi energy sites.

The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out 106 air and missile strikes in 24 hours on Sanaa and other areas, and claimed strikes on Aramco facilities. The coalition spokesman cited Houthi attacks in Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, Najran, Taif and Yanbu in recent weeks. The coalition dismissed a separate Houthi claim of an attack on Riyadh as misleading. We have not verified any of these claims.

As of 5 October 2026

Sources: CNN, 4 October 2026 · Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · Al Jazeera, 4 October 2026: Houthis claim strike on Aramco site · Al Jazeera, 4 October 2026: coalition dismisses Houthi claim of Riyadh attack · The National, 4 October 2026

What we cannot verify

  • Who holds Mocha and Dhubab today. The Houthis captured Mocha in mid-September. The government says it has retaken it and Dhubab, and the Houthis deny the Dhubab claim. We found no independent confirmation of either.
  • Whether the road between Taiz and Aden is fully cut or only threatened. Security sources told AFP it is cut.
  • How many people have been killed. The government army's figure of 1,747 Houthi fighters could not be independently verified, and neither side has published verified casualty counts.
  • Whether the Houthi strikes on Saudi cities caused the damage the Houthis claim. The coalition calls at least one Houthi claim, of an attack on Riyadh, misleading.
  • Whether an Aramco facility near Riyadh was hit. The Houthis claimed an attack on 4 October, and The National published images it said show an oil facility ablaze, while the coalition dismissed a separate Houthi claim of targeting Riyadh as misleading. We have not verified what was hit.

Timeline

  • 5 OctClaimed

    Yemen's government said it had begun a "strategic offensive" on Sanaa and had retaken Dhubab and Mocha on the Red Sea coast. The Houthis denied the Dhubab announcement. The Houthi-run Saba news agency denied reports that government and coalition troops are advancing.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · The National, 5 October 2026

  • 5 OctClaimed

    The Saudi-led coalition said it joined the offensive with about 100 warplanes and destroyed 324 "high-value" Houthi targets. The Houthis said Saudi air strikes killed a female student in Sanaa governorate. Neither claim is independently verified.

    Sources: The National, 5 October 2026 · The New Arab, 5 October 2026

  • 5 OctReported

    A military source told Al Jazeera that government forces attacked Houthi positions on the Raghwan front north of Marib, with air raids near Mount Helan. The government army says it "neutralised" 1,747 Houthi fighters in 1,122 operations; Al Jazeera notes these figures could not be independently verified.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)

  • 5 OctReported

    Al Jazeera's Yemen bureau chief, Saeed Thabet, said the government's advances on the coast, coming soon after the announcement of its offensive, were a way of showing it was serious about reversing Houthi gains. The government was also trying to reverse Houthi gains around Taiz. This is his analysis, not a verified finding.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026: government aims for Sanaa, but defeating the Houthis will be a challenge

  • 5 OctClaimed

    The government spokesman said forces had also taken Dhubab airport and cut the road linking Dhubab with Mocha, and government leaders said Houthi forces were surrounded in the area. The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV confirmed that attacks on Sanaa had taken place. Neither the control claims nor the "surrounded" claim is independently verified.

    Sources: The National, 5 October 2026

  • 5 OctReported

    A defence analyst quoted by Al Jazeera said the Houthis "are going to keep pushing in Taiz and Marib" and have been able to push in all directions at once, while government forces have been better on the defensive in Taiz. This is the analyst's view, not a verified finding.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026: government aims for Sanaa, but defeating the Houthis will be a challenge

  • 4 OctClaimed

    Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, said he had ordered the armed forces to launch operations "until the country is liberated from the Houthis". The coalition said it would give full operational support.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map) · CNN, 4 October 2026

  • 4 OctReported

    Military sources told Reuters the Houthis had advanced on hilltops near Taiz over the previous 48 hours, along the last road to Aden. AFP quoted four security sources saying the Houthis had cut the supply route linking Taiz with Aden.

    Sources: Al Jazeera, 5 October 2026 (includes its control map)

  • 4 OctClaimed

    The Houthis claimed a strike on an Aramco energy site and said Saudi Arabia carried out 106 air and missile strikes in 24 hours. The coalition dismissed a Houthi claim of an attack on Riyadh as misleading.

    Sources: CNN, 4 October 2026 · Al Jazeera, 4 October 2026: Houthis claim strike on Aramco site · Al Jazeera, 4 October 2026: coalition dismisses Houthi claim of Riyadh attack

  • 4 OctReported

    France 24 reports that three Yemeni military sources confirmed Houthi control of the supply route and that the Houthis had effectively encircled Taiz. The city itself remains under government control, and has long been besieged from the north, east and west.

    Sources: France 24, 4 October 2026

Earlier entries (5)
How to read this page. Confirmed an official or several outlets say it. Reported one credible outlet or analyst says it. Claimed one party says it and we cannot verify it. Unconfirmed it happened but the cause or detail is unknown. We link every source. If we get something wrong, we correct it here and in our corrections log. We publish only what is reported and checked. We do not repeat rumours.