If the battle to liberate Yemen were to unfold over a single day, the announcement of Operation Dawn of Yemen on 5 October 2026 would represent the early morning hours, in which fighters reclaim a position by the sea and strike supplies bound for the front, with much of the work in between never making the news.
This is how I read the situation. Those who demand the results of an entire day at dawn do an injustice to the Yemenis fighting to reclaim their country. So do those who dismiss what has been achieved simply because Sanaa has yet to be recaptured. Much remains to be done, but the campaign is under way, and government forces now have the capabilities and support on which to build.
Around Bab al-Mandab and Dhubab, government forces, backed by the coalition, have retaken strategic positions the Houthis had sought to use as bargaining chips over the security of international shipping. These gains cannot be underestimated. Yemenis are reclaiming their land and their role in safeguarding an international shipping route, rather than leaving it in the hands of a militia that trades on their country's geographical position.
I believe these early gains matter for more than the territory recovered. They demonstrate the government's ability to pursue the liberation of other areas. That makes it essential to defend and build on these advances as fighting continues around the strait. The Houthis will not readily accept their losses, but they face forces with a clear purpose: to sustain the campaign and complete the liberation of the coast, rather than settle for what has already been achieved.
In Taiz, Al-Jawf and western Marib, government forces continue to strike at Houthi movements. In their latest operational update, they reported targeting heavy weapons and reinforcements heading towards the Taiz fronts. The impact of these operations will become clearer as the campaign progresses. Weakening the Houthis' ability to move fighters and replace their losses is essential before further advances can be made.
