PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 20th, 2026: British Fighter Jets Enter the Fight Against The Houthis & China Sends Bombers Toward Taiwan

Mike Baker (0:11)

It's Tuesday, the 20th of October. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, the war against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen is expanding. Britain is sending fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia as a Houthi missile attack kills 73 Saudi-backed government soldiers in Yemen. Later in the show, nearly 60,000 American and Japanese troops launch major military exercises near Taiwan, deploying advanced missiles as China expands its naval patrols and sends bombers toward the island. Well, 2026 is really shaping up. But first, today's afternoon spotlight.

Britain is getting more deeply involved in the war against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, announcing today that British fighter jets will begin flying defensive missions over Saudi Arabia. The move comes as Houthi missile and drone attacks continue to batter the kingdom, and it follows a Houthi missile strike inside Yemen that's left at least 73 government soldiers dead and more than 200 wounded. The British Ministry of Defense says Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets will be deployed to protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from incoming missiles and drones. The aircraft will operate in a strictly defensive capacity, with London insisting that they will not conduct offensive strikes against Houthi positions inside Yemen. Britain will also deploy an A400M military transport aircraft to help move equipment around Saudi Arabia, along with additional military advisors to assist Saudi commanders. Now, this is not Britain's first contribution to the current Saudi war effort. As we reported last month, London announced it would provide aerial refueling support for Saudi warplanes. That mission is now being extended, and British refueling aircraft can support Saudi defensive operations, including attacks against Houthi military targets inside Yemen. But putting British combat aircraft into Saudi airspace represents a significant expansion of that commitment. British Defense Secretary Wes Streating called the continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, quote, absolutely despicable. Well, that's a very British thing to say, pointing specifically to the targeting of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Earlier this month, a Houthi missile attack on that airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300

The facility has since come under repeated attack, disrupting commercial flights and forcing Saudi authorities to suspend operations at the airport. The attacks are also reaching Saudi oil facilities and other critical infrastructure, threatening an economy already under pressure from the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. For Britain, there are economic considerations here as well. Continued disruption to Saudi energy production and regional shipping routes threatens to drive up fuel prices further, increase inflation and impose additional costs on British businesses. And London has made clear that protecting those interests is part of its decision to intervene. But Britain's growing involvement comes as the Houthis are demonstrating just how much damage they can inflict on the forces opposing them. On Monday, the group launched one of its deadliest attacks since fighting in Yemen escalated earlier this summer. According to many authorities, three Houthi ballistic missiles struck the Al-Alam military training camp in the southern province of Shabwah, hitting hundreds of young recruits as they assembled in formation for a training session. The death toll has now risen to at least 73, with more than 200 others wounded. Some of the injured remain in critical condition, while authorities say additional recruits are still missing. According to the provincial governor, the victims were young men between the ages of 18 and 20, recruited from communities across Shabwah to provide local security. The governor insisted they were not preparing for frontline combat operations.

The Houthis have acknowledged responsibility for the attack, but tell a different story. They claim the camp was being used by Saudi officers to organize forces for operations against their group. They also claim Saudi personnel were among the casualties, although those allegations have not been independently verified. Shabwah is part of an energy-rich region in southern Yemen that remains under the control of the internationally recognized government. The training camp sits along an important supply route, connecting Shabwah with neighboring Marib, another strategically valuable province. The strike demonstrates that the Houthis can inflict heavy casualties on Saudi-backed government forces even away from immediate front lines.

And the strikes on Saudi territory, well, they point to a critical problem for the kingdom. Despite spending tens of billions of dollars on its military, including advanced American fighter jets and missile defense systems, the Saudis have struggled to stop Houthi attacks. Saudi Arabia has an enormous amount of territory to defend, with oil installations, airports, military bases, and urban centers scattered across the country. The Houthis, meanwhile, have become increasingly effective at targeting that infrastructure. Now, as we've discussed, at the heart of this conflict really is the Iranian regime. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Iran has been providing the group with intelligence, targeting assistance, guidance, and technical support for attacks against Saudi Arabia. That assistance is reportedly helping the Houthis conduct more sophisticated missile and drone operations, although there is no confirmed evidence connecting Iranian personnel directly to Monday's training camp attack.