The Houthis have massed nearly 8,000 fighters and a large arsenal of weapons in northern Hajjah as they prepare for a major offensive against Yemeni government forces along the Midi and Haradh fronts, a military source told Sheba Intelligence.

The mobilization is continuing, the source said, with additional fighters and military equipment still moving toward areas facing positions held by the Yemeni army’s Fifth Military Region.

According to the military source, the Houthis have also recalled personnel from leave and raised the readiness of forces operating under their Fifth Military Region as preparations for the offensive accelerate.

The planned operation is expected to place pressure on two main sectors: Midi on the Red Sea coast and the wider Haradh–Hayran–Bani Hassan sector closer to the Saudi border.

Al-Jarr Farms: Forward Operations Hub for the Midi Front

The military source said the Houthis are preparing to use Al-Jarr Farms as a key staging and support area for an attack toward Midi.

According to information obtained by Sheba Intelligence, the area hosts a forward operations command, military camps and storage facilities for missiles and drones. The facilities are located less than 40 kilometers from the main government military positions in Midi.

Al-Jarr Farms have previously been associated with Houthi military activity, including training and weapons storage, giving the area an established role as a rear position supporting operations in northern Hajjah.

The source said the Houthis are using the area to assemble forces and equipment ahead of the expected operation.

Al-Tinah: Trenches and Tank Positions Near Government Lines

A second position is located in Al-Tinah, where control is divided between government and Houthi forces.

The military source said the Houthis have expanded defensive and offensive preparations on their side of the area, digging trenches and fortified positions for tanks and other military vehicles.

The Houthi forward positions in Al-Tinah are less than 30 kilometers from the main government military center in Midi, according to the source.

The positioning suggests a two-layer deployment on the coastal axis, with Al-Jarr Farms providing operational depth, weapons storage and logistical support while Al-Tinah serves as a forward position closer to government lines.

Al-Tinah has already seen recent military activity. Government forces said a drone struck a Houthi position there on August 31.

Second Axis Toward Haradh, Ahem, Hayran and Bani Hassan

The preparations extend beyond the coastal front.

The military source told Sheba Intelligence that Houthi forces are also preparing to attack government positions around Haradh, Ahem Triangle, Hayran and Bani Hassan, using positions east of Haradh and other areas facing government lines.

This axis has a deeper manpower and logistical base.

According to the source, the Houthis can reinforce the front with fighters drawn from tribal areas east and southeast of Haradh, including Bakil al-Mir, Mustaba and Washhah.

These areas are connected to Houthi-held territory farther east through a land supply corridor extending toward Harf Sufyan in Amran governorate, the source said.

The route is being used to move fighters, weapons and military supplies toward northern Hajjah, providing the Houthis with a continuing reinforcement corridor behind the Haradh front.

This helps explain why reinforcements are still arriving despite the force already assembled for the operation being estimated by the military source at nearly 8,000 fighters.

The Ahem Triangle is particularly significant because of its position within the road network connecting Haradh, Hayran, Abs and areas deeper inside Hajjah, making it an important junction for forces and supplies moving toward the northern fronts.

September Escalation Set the Stage

The preparations come after a sharp escalation across Hajjah during September.

Earlier this month, government forces launched a large-scale operation against Houthi positions in Haradh, with military and field sources reporting advances toward the city center amid heavy fighting on several axes.

On September 14, Presidential Leadership Council member Othman Mujalli visited the Fifth Military Region and met its commander, Maj. Gen. Yahya Salah. He also inspected frontline units as well as naval and coast guard forces around Midi. The government said the Fifth Military Region maintains forces across the Midi, Hayran, Haradh and Bani Hassan sectors.

The escalation continued on September 21, when the Yemeni military said drones operated by the Fifth Military Region struck Houthi fortifications, barracks and troop concentrations on several fronts in Hajjah.

The Houthis have separately claimed attacks near the Al-Tuwal border crossing and operations involving Saudi border areas. Those accounts remain Houthi claims and should not be treated as independently established battlefield developments. Saudi authorities have, however, separately confirmed other Houthi cross-border drone attacks during September as fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis intensified.

The latest mobilization therefore follows several weeks of increasingly intense military activity around Hajjah.

According to the military information obtained by Sheba Intelligence, the combination of nearly 8,000 fighters, continuing reinforcements, personnel recalled from leave, a large weapons buildup, preparations at Al-Jarr Farms, new fortifications at Al-Tinah and an active reinforcement corridor from areas east of Haradh points to preparations for an operation significantly larger than routine frontline movements.

The current deployment indicates two potential directions of attack: a coastal axis toward Midi, supported from Al-Jarr Farms and forward positions at Al-Tinah, and an inland axis toward Haradh, Ahem, Hayran and Bani Hassan, supported by reinforcement routes extending into Houthi-held areas farther east.

Reinforcements are still arriving, the military source said.