Houthis Anticipate Attack on Sanaa as Escalation Expands to Aden, Mokha and Marib

The Houthi group expects Sanaa to face a large-scale air attack amid unprecedented preparations at its air-defense positions, according to information obtained by Sheba Intelligence.

The group has reportedly deployed air-defense missile systems on Jabal Nuqum, installed receivers designed to detect and track military aircraft, and assigned specialized technical teams to identify targets flying at medium altitudes. The systems reportedly use variable frequencies to reduce their vulnerability to electronic jamming.

Multiple visits by commanders and technicians to air-defense positions have been observed over the past several hours, coinciding with a heightened state of readiness.

The movements are part of a growing security alert in Sanaa. Sheba Intelligence previously reported Houthi preparations for a possible attack, including reinforcements at air-defense positions on Jabal Aiban and changes to the deployment of missile launchers, some of which were concealed inside tunnels and residential areas. No public indications have yet emerged regarding the party that might carry out the anticipated attack or its timing.

In Aden, the Yemeni Armed Forces said they intercepted hostile drones attempting to approach vital infrastructure and public-service facilities. No details were released about the number of drones or the specific sites targeted.

On the western coast, the National Resistance Forces said they repelled the latest Houthi missile attack without sustaining any losses. The incident followed a large-scale missile and drone assault a day earlier targeting Mokha city, its port, civilian areas, employee housing, electricity-generating facilities and military positions.

According to a Yemeni military statement, Sunday’s attack on Mokha killed four service members and three civilians and wounded 30 civilians. Air-defense units also intercepted and downed 11 drones involved in the assault.

In Marib, government artillery struck a Houthi command-and-control center, military barracks and missile launchers on Jabal Haylan and in Al-Jubah district. The strikes coincided with reports that the group was preparing to launch missiles from several locations.

Mabkhout Mohsen Al-Shaddadi, director of the Public Works and Highways Office in Marib’s Raghwan district, was also killed while helping repel a Houthi attack on the governorate’s northern front. According to available information, the clashes occurred on Sunday.

Sheba Intelligence had monitored an escalation of Houthi attacks against Marib and Mokha over the previous day, including the use of missiles and drones against military positions and civilian areas. Government forces responded with artillery strikes against launch sites and command centers.

The attempted drone attack on Aden suggests that the escalation is expanding beyond active front lines into a coordinated campaign targeting military positions and vital infrastructure across several governorates.