Yemen: Government Forces Affirm Unity Across Fronts as Security Meetings Address Threats

Meeting of the Military and Security Committee in Marib Province (Local Authority)
Meeting of the Military and Security Committee in Marib Province (Local Authority)
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Yemen: Government Forces Affirm Unity Across Fronts as Security Meetings Address Threats

Meeting of the Military and Security Committee in Marib Province (Local Authority)
Meeting of the Military and Security Committee in Marib Province (Local Authority)

Yemeni authorities have raised the level of military and security readiness in several provinces, alongside field movements by government forces, in response to the latest escalation by the Houthi group, which has included ballistic missile and drone attacks that have killed and wounded military personnel and civilians.

Yemeni officials affirmed that the forces supporting legitimacy are “united and cohesive,” and that the armed forces and security agencies, across their various formations, stand together in confronting the Iran-backed Houthi group. They stressed the need to raise the level of field coordination and integration among military and security units and institutions.

On Saturday, the Yemeni armed forces carried out a military operation targeting Houthi positions and capabilities in response to the group’s latest attacks on military sites and civilian areas in Marib and Hadramout.

The military action came a day after the Yemeni National Defense Council, chaired by Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, approved a package of measures during an emergency meeting to raise military and security readiness and civil defense preparedness, strengthen coordination among state institutions, and protect civilians and vital facilities.

Meeting of the Security Committee in Hadramout Province, chaired by Presidential Leadership Council member and Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi (Local Authority)

On Saturday in Marib, Sultan Al-Arada, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, chaired a meeting of the security and military committee, attended by Lt. Gen. Sagheer bin Aziz, chief of the General Staff and commander of joint operations, to discuss security and military developments and the level of preparedness to respond to them, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

Hadramout also held an extraordinary meeting of its security committee, chaired by Salem Al-Khanbashi, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, governor of the province and chairman of the security committee. The meeting was devoted to discussing recent developments, foremost among them the Houthi escalation, and reviewing the security and military situation and the level of readiness to deal with various scenarios.

The committee received a briefing on the level of security and military preparedness and confirmed that the state of vigilance and readiness had been raised to the highest levels in the Second Military Region, as well as across all military units and formations and security agencies. The move is intended to strengthen their ability to protect the province, preserve its security and stability, and respond to any potential risks or threats.

The committee stressed the importance of Hadramout residents recognizing their national and social responsibilities at this stage, uniting their ranks, preventing manifestations of tension and disorder in the province, and avoiding being drawn into any practices that could harm its security, stability and the interests of its residents.

It affirmed that preserving Hadramout is a “collective responsibility” that requires prioritizing the public interest and exercising wisdom and awareness in light of the challenges and threats surrounding the province.



Israeli Strikes Kill Three People in Gaza, Medics Say

The sun sets over the ruins of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
The sun sets over the ruins of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Kill Three People in Gaza, Medics Say

The sun sets over the ruins of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
The sun sets over the ruins of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 31, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli strikes ‌killed at least three Palestinians and wounded several others in the Gaza Strip on Monday, the territory's health officials said.

Medics said two people were killed and six others wounded in two separate airstrikes in Khan Younis, south of the enclave, while a third person was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Al-Mussadar.

The Israeli military didn't immediately ‌comment on ‌any of the attacks.

Israel, which says ‌the ⁠Hamas group ⁠has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of a year-old ceasefire, has stepped up strikes on the group in recent weeks.

Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel of ⁠undermining the Gaza peace deal.

Last year's ‌US-brokered ceasefire calls ‌for eventual reconstruction of the territory. But little progress ‌has been made as negotiators have failed ‌to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm or Israel to withdraw its troops, who control about two-thirds of the territory where they have ordered ‌residents out.

Nearly all of the more than 2 million residents live in ⁠the remaining ⁠third of the enclave among war ruins, mostly in makeshift tents and damaged buildings, still under effective control of Hamas.

At least 1,580 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire, according to the territory's health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.


Syrian Intelligence Thwarts Terrorist Plot Targeting Homs Refinery

A view of the Homs refinery. (SANA)
A view of the Homs refinery. (SANA)
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Syrian Intelligence Thwarts Terrorist Plot Targeting Homs Refinery

A view of the Homs refinery. (SANA)
A view of the Homs refinery. (SANA)

A source in Syria’s intelligence revealed to SANA on Sunday that a terrorist plot targeting the Homs refinery in central Syria has been thwarted.

The Homs refinery, along with the Baniyas refinery, plays a crucial role in securing petroleum derivatives for the domestic market. Last October, atmospheric distillation unit "10" was rehabilitated and maintained, with a design capacity of one million tons of crude oil annually. This boosts the refinery's capacity to produce petroleum derivatives and supports the availability of diesel, fuel oil, and kerosene in the local market.

Authorities did not reveal who was behind the plot.

The current refinery comprises four production units based on atmospheric distillation, alongside a naphtha upgrading project to produce high-octane gasoline that meets domestic market needs.

Some units are currently operational, while maintenance and commissioning work are being finalized on two other units in preparation for launch. This will bring the refinery's operational capacity to approximately 60,000 to 70,000 barrels per day of petroleum derivatives.

Established in 1959, the Homs Refinery General Company is one of the oldest oil facilities in Syria, though its efficiency has declined over time. Yousef Qablawi, CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, said last year that the company is currently working on constructing a new refinery 51 kilometers away from the city of Homs.


Syria Arrests Two ISIS Militants Involved in Assassinations

A member of the security forces walks through a checkpoint operated by Syria's Interior Ministry on the outskirts of Sawara Sughra, in the northern countryside of Sweida, Syria, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
A member of the security forces walks through a checkpoint operated by Syria's Interior Ministry on the outskirts of Sawara Sughra, in the northern countryside of Sweida, Syria, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
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Syria Arrests Two ISIS Militants Involved in Assassinations

A member of the security forces walks through a checkpoint operated by Syria's Interior Ministry on the outskirts of Sawara Sughra, in the northern countryside of Sweida, Syria, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
A member of the security forces walks through a checkpoint operated by Syria's Interior Ministry on the outskirts of Sawara Sughra, in the northern countryside of Sweida, Syria, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Syrian authorities said on Sunday they arrested two ISIS members in the east of the country, blaming them for targeted killings including that of a defense ministry official.

In a statement, the internal security forces announced the arrest of "two individuals following close intelligence surveillance" in Deir Ezzor.

They are accused of "carrying out a series of assassinations in the governorate, the latest of which was targeting Ministry of Defense member Ibrahim al-Jassem" in the city of Mayadin.

Syrian authorities blamed the group for a bombing in Damascus while French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting the country in July, and said they had dismantled the cell responsible.

According to a report presented to the United Nations Security Council that same month, the group counts some 3,000 combatants in Syria.