Operation Scorched Earth

Operation Scorched Earth
	Part of the Houthi insurgency in Yemen and Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
Date	11 August 2009 – 12 February 2010; (6 months and 1 day)
Location	Saada Governorate, Yemen and Jabal al-Dukhan, Saudi Arabia
Result	Stalemate Ceasefire after rebels accepted the government's truce conditions.;
Belligerents
Yemen; Hashed tribesmen; Saudi Arabia; Alleged support:; Morocco; Jordan	Houthis; Alleged support:; Iran Quds Force; Hezbollah
Commanders and leaders
Ali Abdullah Saleh; Ali Mohammed Mujur; Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar; Amr Ali Mousa Al-Uuzali †; Ali Salem al-Ameri †; Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud; Khalid bin Sultan	Abdul-Malik al-Houthi; Yahya Badreddin al-Houthi; Yousuf al-Madani †; Taha al-Madani; Abu Ali Hakem; Abdullah al-Qa'ud; Abu Nasir
Strength
Yemen:; 30,000 in-theatre; 66,700 total; 3,000 tribal fighters; Saudi Arabia:; 199,500 total; Alleged:; Jordan: 2,000; Morocco Hundreds; al-Qaeda: 300	100,000–150,000 Houthi rebels; Alleged:; 200 Somali fighters
Casualties and losses
Yemen:; 126+ KIA; (Government confirmed); 144–159 KIA; (Independent estimate); 400–500 POW; 3 fighter jets lost; 69 Salafi fighters killed; Saudi Arabia:; 133 KIA; 470 WIA; 6 MIA; (Saudi claim); Total: 328–361 killed	600+ KIA; (Government claim); 458–544 KIA; (Independent estimate); 1,000 POW (including at least 26 Somalis); Total: 458–600 killed
	Total Yemeni Casualties:; 8,000 killed; Saudi Civilian Casualties:; 4 civilians killed; 50,000 displaced

Operation Scorched Earth (Arabic: عملية الأرض المحروقة) was the code-name of a Yemeni military offensive in the Saada Governorate that began in August 2009. It marked the fifth wave of violence during the ongoing insurgency by the Houthis against the government. In November 2009, the conflict spread across the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia. This conflict led to the Saudi military's incursion into Yemen, marking the first military operation conducted by Saudi Arabia since 1991.