Fighting near supply routes
Field sources said the clashes began when Houthi fighters tried to advance toward government military positions. Both sides used medium and heavy weapons, with the fighting centered on frontlines overlooking important supply routes.
Military officials reported Houthi casualties and losses of equipment during the unsuccessful attacks. Neither side immediately issued an official casualty count, while local sources said the combat was among the area's heaviest in recent weeks.
Government reports capture of Huwayshian range
Col. Rabie al-Qurashi, an army field commander in Al-Jawf, told Anadolu that government troops secured the entire Huwayshian mountain range on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The strategic range lies east of al-Hazm, the provincial capital.
Troops had taken parts of the range during Friday's clashes before completing the capture the following day. Al-Qurashi said heavy fighting preceded the advance and that coalition aircraft provided support, destroying dozens of Houthi vehicles. The military operation remained underway, he said.
Al-Jawf's location gives it strategic importance, according to Anadolu. It shares a border with Saudi Arabia and is close to Saada, Amran and Sanaa, provinces controlled by the Houthis. Its other neighbors include Hadramout and Marib, two oil-producing provinces that remain under government control.
Escalation and general mobilization
Sunday's clashes were part of continued fighting on several northern Yemeni frontlines and a wider escalation across parts of the country. Intermittent battles have persisted despite international attempts to revive negotiations for a comprehensive political settlement to the long-running conflict.
In a decision reported by Asharq Al-Awsat on September 29, 2026, Yemen's Parliament approved Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi's request to declare a general mobilization against the Houthis. The measure was intended to strengthen state institutions and the armed forces.
The decision stipulates that mobilization begins when it is announced and continues until the circumstances that prompted it have ended.
