Key Facts
- Operation start
- Mid-December 2015
- Distance from Sana'a
- 40 km east of capital
- Key position captured
- 312th Armored Corps camp
- Initial phase duration
- December 2015 – February 2016
- Bordering governorates
- Al-Jawf and Marib
Strategic Narrative Overview
Operations commenced in mid-December 2015 with government forces seizing 'Mas camp' on the border of Al-Jawf and Marib. On 19–20 December, troops advancing from both governorates captured the 312th and 334th Armored Brigade camps. Houthi resistance proved fierce, stalling the offensive for weeks. By February 2016, government forces finally secured the 312th Armored Corps camp after sustained fighting.
01 / The Origins
The Nihm Offensive emerged from the broader Yemeni Civil War, in which Houthi forces had seized Sana'a and much of northwestern Yemen. Government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, sought to exploit the northeastern corridor through Nihm District — roughly 40 km from the capital — as a strategic axis to pressure Houthi control over Sana'a via advances from the Marib and Al-Jawf governorates.
03 / The Outcome
By February 2016, government forces had consolidated control over the main armored brigade positions in Nihm District, establishing a forward posture northeast of Sana'a. However, the broader offensive did not culminate in a swift advance on the capital, and fighting in Nihm continued as part of the prolonged Yemeni conflict, with no definitive resolution to the district's status reported.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.