Aden (South24 Center)

Aden local authorities said Houthi missiles and drones targeted Al-Buraiqah District on Friday (October 2), damaging buildings but causing no deaths or injuries, as fighting intensified around key routes linking Taiz to Aden and government-aligned forces reported repelling attacks west of Taiz city.

In a statement issued Friday evening, the local authorities said the attack targeted civilian areas and vital facilities in Al-Buraiqah. Most of the drones were shot down, they said, and damage was confined to buildings. The authorities condemned the attack and called on the United Nations and the international community to take action to halt such attacks and hold those responsible accountable.

The statement followed reports of a drone attack in the early hours of Friday targeting the headquarters of Saudi forces in the Al-Shaab area of western Aden. Local reports identified the military compound as the target, while Southern forces said their defenses had intercepted Houthi suicide drones without casualties.

The local authorities’ statement did not specify whether it referred solely to that attack or also covered additional attacks later in the day.

In Taiz, forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government said on Saturday (October 3) that they had repelled Houthi attacks on Jabal Han, a strategic height overlooking the western approaches to the city and the road connecting it to Al-Turbah and Aden.

A military source told South24 Center that fighting had continued throughout the night as Houthi fighters attempted to seize the mountain. Clashes were also reported on the Bani Bakari front in Jabal Habashi District.

Government-aligned forces said dozens of Houthi fighters had been killed or wounded during the attacks on Jabal Han. A military source told South24 Center that powerful explosions had been heard across several areas of Taiz since Saturday morning, alongside warplanes flying over the governorate.

Government military spokesperson Majed Al-Nuzaili separately announced 71 operations targeting Houthi troop concentrations and reinforcements across several fronts in Taiz.

The statement described them as targeting operations, without specifying that they were 71 airstrikes, and said they had destroyed transport and support vehicles and inflicted losses on Houthi forces. The reported battlefield casualty figures could not be independently verified.

#VIDEO

Pro-government forces publish footage they said shows today's airstrikes on Houthi positions in Taiz #south24 pic.twitter.com/JZILnezAlx

— South24 | English (@South24E) October 1, 2026

The announcement followed successive reports of airstrikes on Houthi positions over the previous two days. On Friday, Al-Nuzaili said warplanes had carried out 20 strikes within three hours against Houthi fighters, movements, vehicles and military equipment in Taiz, according to Reuters.

Houthi-run media, meanwhile, reported on Saturday that an aircraft it identified as Saudi had struck the eastern entrance to the Jawlat Al-Qasr road in Salah District.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Friday the death of Major General Mohammed Salem Al-Khawlani, chief of staff of its Emergency Forces, during fighting on the Al-Kadhah front.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned in a statement on Thursday (October 1) that fighting in Taiz had escalated significantly and that Houthi military operations posed serious risks to civilians.

He cited reports of casualties, damage to infrastructure and road closures obstructing residents’ ability to leave affected areas, and urged the Houthis to halt their offensive. He also called for civilian protection, safe humanitarian access and freedom of movement.

The pressure on Taiz’s access routes follows Houthi gains along Yemen’s western coast in September, including the capture of Al-Mokha.

The escalation has extended into Saudi Arabia. Saudi military spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said on Thursday that a Houthi drone had struck the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina on September 29, disabling one transformer without affecting the wider power network.

Saudi authorities subsequently announced further interceptions of Houthi ballistic missiles launched toward Khamis Mushait.

Against that backdrop, Reuters reported on Friday that Saudi Arabia was preparing an offensive against the Houthis, citing regional and Western officials. Options under consideration included a coastal operation to secure Red Sea shipping routes or an assault on multiple fronts, with Yemeni ground forces supported by Saudi airstrikes.

Saudi and Yemeni authorities had not publicly confirmed the plans outlined in the report.