Yemen’s government has launched Operation “Dawn of Yemen,” a large-scale military campaign aimed at restoring state institutions and retaking the capital, Sana’a, as government forces advanced along the Bab al-Mandab coast and fighting intensified across several major fronts.

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced the operation on Monday, October 5, saying its objectives were to restore state institutions, retake Sana’a and end Houthi control.

“With God’s blessing, the ‘Dawn of Yemen’ operation has been launched to restore state institutions, liberate the capital, Sana’a, and end the coup by the terrorist Houthi militias,” Al-Alimi said.

The announcement formally named the broader military campaign that Al-Alimi had announced a day earlier, when he ordered the armed forces, security services and other military formations to begin implementing approved operational plans.

100 Fighter Jets and 324 High-Value Targets

The coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government said 100 fighter jets participated in the opening phase of Operation “Dawn of Yemen”, while 324 high-value targets were destroyed.

The coalition said it was providing around-the-clock air support to Yemeni forces on the ground and continuing to engage moving targets.

It also announced that it was providing aerial protection over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, placing the strategic waterway at the center of the opening phase of the operation.

Government Forces Retake Bab al-Mandab and Dhubab

The most significant territorial developments announced during the opening hours of the operation were reported along Yemen’s southwestern coast.

The Yemeni military said forces from the Giants Brigades and Nation Shield Forces, supported by other government units, had retaken the Bab al-Mandab area and Dhubab district, while Dhubab Airport had also come under government control.

Government forces cut the road between Dhubab and Mocha and established fire control over the route, according to the military spokesman.

Field reports also indicated that government forces advanced northward after entering Dhubab Airport and cutting routes connecting Houthi positions around Bab al-Mandab with positions farther north.

Forces were reported advancing toward Al-Omari military camp, while operations continued around the mountainous positions overlooking the coastal corridor, including the Kahboub mountain area.

The developments represent a major shift along the southwestern coastal front, where control of Dhubab, the surrounding high ground and the approaches to Bab al-Mandab directly affects access to one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

Mayyun Island

Field information also indicated significant developments on Mayyun Island, located inside the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Published military reports said Houthi forces on the island had been isolated after government forces cut their connections with positions on the mainland, while some reports indicated negotiations or attempts by surrounded Houthi fighters to surrender.

Sheba Intelligence is also following field information indicating that government forces are moving to restore full control over the island. No official announcement confirming the completion of the takeover had been issued at the time of publication.

Mayyun is strategically important because of its location inside the Bab al-Mandab Strait and its proximity to the main international shipping lanes connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Haradh–Midi Front Opens

Farther north, Yemeni forces positioned along the Midi–Haradh axis in Hajjah governorate have begun moving toward Houthi-held Haradh city, according to information obtained by Sheba Intelligence.

The development would open another northern axis of Operation “Dawn of Yemen” along the Saudi-Yemeni border.

Haradh has remained an important Houthi military center in northern Hajjah, while government positions around Midi and the border areas provide an operational base for forces attempting to advance toward the city.

Fighting Intensifies Across Multiple Fronts

Operation “Dawn of Yemen” is not limited to the Bab al-Mandab front.

Information monitored by Sheba Intelligence indicates intensified fighting and military activity across Marib, Taiz, Saada, Hajjah and the western coastal front, suggesting that government forces are applying simultaneous pressure across several geographically separated axes.

The Yemeni military separately announced 1,122 precision targeting operations against Houthi artillery positions, rocket launchers, defensive fortifications, reinforcement routes, supply lines, troop concentrations, commanding positions and command-and-control centers.

According to the military spokesman, the strikes covered fronts in Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and the western coast and involved fighter aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles, rocket launchers and snipers.

The military said the operations neutralized 1,747 Houthi personnel and destroyed or disabled 364 vehicles, military equipment and logistical assets.

The figures represent official military claims from the opening phase of the operation.

Taken together, the developments indicate that Operation “Dawn of Yemen” has opened with three interconnected components: a large-scale air campaign, ground advances around Bab al-Mandab and simultaneous pressure across several inland and northern fronts.

The declared strategic objective extends beyond the current coastal and frontline battles. President Al-Alimi has explicitly identified Sana’a and the restoration of state institutions across Yemen as the ultimate objectives of the campaign.