Estimates suggest that the Yemeni group Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has around 350,000 fighters at its disposal, equipped with a range of heavy weapons and possibly even a number of T-80BV tanks.
In contrast, the Houthis’ opponents in Yemen may field up to 500,000 personnel in total. However, this potential is fragmented across multiple factions that often have serious internal divisions, according to the Long War Journal, a project of the Washington-based FDD institute.
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Analysts believe a ground offensive in Yemen may be imminent, with anti-Houthi forces potentially resuming combat operations, most likely along the country's western coastline, in an attempt to dislodge the terrorist regime. In this context, reassessing the military potential of both sides is timely, as Yemen may soon face another test of force on the battlefield.
The last major phase of ground fighting ended in late 2018 following a failed attempt by the anti-Houthi coalition to recapture the port city of Hodeidah, which remains a key Houthi stronghold and their de facto capital.
That halt in hostilities was formalized in the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, mediated by the United Nations amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen after years of civil war.
Breaking down the 500,000 troops aligned against the Houthis: roughly 300,000 are members of Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces and security units. An additional 150,000–200,000 fighters belong to various paramilitary formations backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to The Military Balance 2024, issued by London-based IISS, at the start of the year, government forces operated up to 20 mechanized brigades equipped with heavy weapons.
Their arsenal includes T-54/55, T-62, T-72, and M60A1 tanks; BRDM-2, BTR-60, and BTR-80A armored personnel carriers; 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers; and, reportedly, even WWII-era SU-100 tank destroyers.
For their part, the Houthis claim to possess an undisclosed number of T-55 and T-62 tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-40s, BTR-60s, and BTR-80As, as well as BM-21 Grad and Badr multiple rocket launchers. Notably, in fall 2024, social media posts circulated showing T-80BV tanks allegedly used by the Houthis during ground force training exercises.
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