CONFLICT ZONE: Yemen

An expanding war

Updated On: Nov 10 2026 | 4:50 AM IST

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Houthi supporters at a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, in October 2026 (Photo: Reuters)

Renewed fighting in Yemen between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemeni armed forces is spreading across the country. According to reports, the recent clashes in August and October have extended beyond Yemen’s internal conflict, raising concerns over cross-border security and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea — vital corridors for global shipping. The latest clashes highlight the growing role of missile and drone warfare alongside conventional air power.

This photo feature will focus on the weapons shaping the conflict — from ballistic missiles and attack drones to combat aircraft and ground-based systems — and the implications for regional security and international maritime trade.

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A Houthi fighter shooting from a vehicle in northern Yemen in September 2026 (Photo: Reuters)

As reported earlier, the Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, has controlled Sanaa (Yemen’s capital) since 2014 and has targeted international shipping lanes in the Red Sea more recently. The group ordered attack drones (Shahed, Sammad), anti-ship (Qaher) and anti-tank (Dehlavieh) missiles, as well as surface-to-air (Saqr), surface-to-surface/anti-ship (Raad, Fateh, Quds) and surface-to-surface (Qiam) missiles — all from Iran — over the past 10 years.

The first picture is of Houthi supporters at a rally, as fighting between the two sides intensifies across regions in the country. The following picture shows a Houthi fighter firing from a vehicle in a screengrab published by Reuters.

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Wreckage of a drone in a location, Hajjah, in September 2026 (Photo: Reuters)

According to data and documentation from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s arms transfers database and related reports, the Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, has used a range of major conventional and advanced imported weapons in the conflict in Yemen.

The third picture is of the wreckage of a drone, which, according to Houthis, is an armed reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle “Karayel”, belonging to the Saudi in a location given as Hajjah.

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The following picture is of debris from a drone, which, according to the Saudi authorities, was launched by Houthis in Madina.

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Eurofighter Typhoon, reportedly used by Saudi Arabia, in air strikes against the Houthis (Photo: RAF)

The fifth picture is of a Eurofighter Typhoon operated by Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed this multirole combat aircraft was used in the strikes by Saudi Arabia. It is a European twin-engine, supersonic, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter jet designed originally for air superiority.

The renewed fighting in Yemen highlights the growing importance of air defence, surveillance and precision-strike capabilities in modern warfare, as regional powers seek to counter increasingly sophisticated missile and drone threats.

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Written BY :

Syed Muskan Shafiq

Syed Muskan is a sub-editor at Business Standard, Blueprint.

First Published: Nov 10 2026 | 4:50 AM IST

In this article :

Yemen war Middle East Drones