Houthi missile and drone attacks have killed at least 58 Saudi-backed Yemeni government troops and injured dozens in one of Yemen’s deadliest days of fighting since 2022. The escalation also crossed into Saudi Arabia, where 11 civilians were reportedly wounded in attacks on the southern Najran region.

At least 58 troops belonging to Yemen’s internationally recognised government were killed after Iran-backed Houthi forces launched a series of missile and drone attacks on military positions, according to a military source.

The strikes on Thursday, August 6, 2026 targeted government troop camps in several areas, including Marib and Hadramawt, marking one of the deadliest escalations in Yemen since a UN-brokered truce significantly reduced major fighting in 2022.

Medical sources had initially reported 38 deaths before the toll was later revised upward. Dozens of soldiers were also wounded in the attacks. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said ballistic missiles and drones were used against government positions. He claimed the operations were carried out in response to what the Houthis described as a Saudi-backed military buildup.

Yemen’s Defence Ministry said government forces would respond to the attacks at an appropriate time and place, raising concerns that renewed retaliation could further destabilise the country.

Military sources said a camp in the al-Ruwaik area of Marib province was among the locations struck. Camps around Al-Abr and Al-Wadiah in Hadramawt, close to the Saudi border, were also reportedly targeted.

One of the most devastating strikes reportedly hit soldiers during a morning formation at the Marib camp, killing and injuring dozens of personnel. Saree identified Al-Ruwaik, al-Thaniyah and al-Abr among the targeted areas and warned that Houthi forces were prepared for further escalation.

The attacks represent a significant deterioration in security after years in which front lines between the Houthis and government-aligned forces had remained relatively stable. Last month, Houthi forces were also accused of killing 16 government-aligned troops in an attack south of the port city of Hodeidah.

The latest fighting also spread across Yemen’s northern border, with Saudi authorities reporting that 11 civilians were wounded in attacks in the southern Najran region.

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki said those injured included seven Saudi citizens as well as nationals from Yemen, Egypt and Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of indiscriminately targeting civilian areas and said coalition forces would continue taking measures to protect residents. Riyadh has supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government since leading a military coalition against the Houthis in 2015.

The latest attacks come amid heightened regional tensions, with the Houthis increasingly linking their military operations to the wider confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and expanded their control across much of the country’s north.

The Saudi-backed government continues to control significant areas in southern Yemen, while Houthi forces dominate Sanaa and several densely populated northern regions.

Large-scale hostilities had declined following the UN-mediated truce in 2022, which largely continued to influence the battlefield even after formally expiring. However, recent missile, drone and cross-border attacks indicate that the fragile calm is under increasing pressure.

The renewed fighting threatens to deepen Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, which has already left hundreds of thousands dead directly or indirectly from years of conflict and displaced millions. With government forces threatening retaliation and the Houthis warning they are ready to confront further escalation, concerns are growing that Yemen could once again become the centre of sustained regional warfare.