# Houthi Drone and Sniper Tactics Sustain Pressure on Yemen’s Marib Front

*Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 4:06 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-11-03T04:06:48.765Z (3h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 6/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/22307.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

---

**Deck**: Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces used Rajoum bomb‑dropping drones and sniper teams with Sareem, SVDS and Dragunov rifles against Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council positions around Marib, keeping front‑line units and civilians under constant threat.

Recent battlefield reports from Yemen’s Marib front describe Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces combining bomb‑dropping drones with sniper fire against positions held by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), highlighting how relatively inexpensive weapons continue to shape this long‑running front.

According to these accounts, Houthi units deployed Rajoum hexacopter‑type drones to attack PLC positions and vehicles. The drones carried a mix of locally produced bombs and imported munitions, including DIO M48 bombs and HE82 and HE12 explosive charges. Dropping such payloads from low‑flying platforms allows the attackers to strike trenches, vehicles and small installations with limited warning.

At the same time, Houthi fighters conducted several sniper attacks along the Marib front. They used Sareem 8 mm rifles based on modified Mauser M48 designs, along with SVDS (6V3) and Dragunov SVD (6V1) rifles, both Soviet‑designed designated‑marksman weapons.

This combination of overhead explosives and accurate small‑arms fire is intended to wear down PLC units, damage or destroy vehicles, and complicate efforts to reinforce or rotate front‑line positions. Troops under this kind of pressure find it difficult to move in the open or mass equipment without becoming targets.

For civilians near Marib, including displaced people living in camps close to active lines, the steady use of drones and sniper teams means a persistent risk that stray fire or misdirected strikes will hit homes, markets or temporary shelters.

Marib remains a critical front in Yemen’s conflict because of its energy resources and its role as a hub for internally displaced people. Persistent harassment by Houthi drone and sniper operations keeps the PLC’s ground forces off balance and complicates any future push to secure key terrain or protect energy infrastructure.

The practical impact of these tactics will become clearer as casualty and damage reports emerge from the sector. Important indicators include any visible shift in PLC defenses, such as the deployment of more counter‑drone systems or changes in how front‑line positions are fortified against sniper fire, and whether these localized attacks are followed by larger ground moves around Marib.
