The deployment follows a coordinated wave of attacks targeting border forces, government positions, Aden and a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea.

   The Houthis have deployed a Meraj surface-to-air missile on Jabal Nuqum and additional air-defense missiles on nearby Jabal Al-Abrash, east of Sanaa, in anticipation of possible retaliatory airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, sources told Sheba Intelligence.

The deployment followed coordinated Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks against forces stationed near the Yemen–Saudi border in Al-Abr and Al-Wadea, government positions in Al-Kanais in Al-Jawf, and a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu. Government forces also intercepted Houthi drones west of Aden before they reached their intended targets.

The latest escalation fits a pattern identified in previous Sheba Intelligence assessments of Houthi preparations around Marib, Bab al-Mandab and the Saudi border. The most recent report, published a day before the attacks, warned that Houthi commanders in the Fourth Military Region were preparing operations extending toward Lahj and Aden, alongside continued pressure on Yemen’s western coast and Bab al-Mandab. 
 

Military and Civilian Vehicles Hit

Sources told Sheba Intelligence that the Al-Abr and Al-Wadea attacks struck reinforcements and military equipment linked to Homeland Shield, emergency-response units and Yemeni government forces stationed along the border and in the Hadramout desert.

Trailers carrying weapons and military equipment were damaged. The explosions also reached civilian traffic on the international highway, burning at least four commercial trucks and fuel tankers and damaging vehicles belonging to travellers.

Initial information indicates civilian and military casualties, including members of the battalion responsible for protecting the area. The final number of dead and wounded remains unclear.

Homeland Shield Forces had not issued an official statement confirming their losses at the time of publication. The force is deployed along the border and across Hadramout’s valley and desert areas, where it secures the Al-Abr–Al-Wadea and Al-Abr–Al-Khasha routes, protects strategic sites and counters cross-border smuggling. 

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed that more than ten weapons-carrying trucks were destroyed in Al-Abr and Al-Wadea. He also claimed that dozens of soldiers, including officers and commanders, were killed or wounded in a separate attack on Al-Kanais.

Available information does not independently support the scale of the losses claimed by the Houthis.

Saudi Tanker Struck Off Yanbu

At the same time, the Saudi tanker Amzan was struck approximately 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu.

Saudi shipping company Bahri confirmed that the vessel had been involved in a maritime incident in the Red Sea. It said all crew members were safe and no injuries had been reported.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said the tanker had been hit by an unidentified projectile. It reported no casualties or environmental impact.

The Houthis claimed that a ballistic missile was used, but neither Bahri nor UKMTO confirmed the weapon involved. 
 

Preparing for Possible Retaliation

According to Sheba Intelligence sources, Houthi commanders expect the attacks against forces near the Saudi border and Saudi shipping in the Red Sea to trigger a coalition response.

The group subsequently deployed the Meraj missile on Jabal Nuqum and other surface-to-air missiles on Jabal Al-Abrash. Meraj is a Houthi version of an Iranian air-defense missile reportedly equipped with thermal and radar guidance. Its operational range, interception altitude and resistance to electronic countermeasures have not been independently established.

The two mountains overlook the eastern approaches to Sanaa and allow the Houthis to disperse their air-defense assets. The deployment may also be intended to protect command facilities, missile and drone stockpiles, or other sensitive military sites inside the mountainous area.

The movement of air-defense systems does not establish that the coalition has decided to conduct airstrikes. It does, however, show that the Houthis anticipate retaliation after expanding their campaign across several connected fronts: the Yemen–Saudi border, Marib and Al-Jawf, Aden, Bab al-Mandab and Saudi shipping off Yanbu.