Yemen · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
Rashad Al-Alimi Launches Yemen Military Operations To Retake Houthi-Held Territory
Rashad al-Alimi announced start of a broad military operation to retake Houthi-held areas. Operation aims to reclaim remaining territories and extend government sovereignty over Yemen.
19 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Houthis Attack Aramco Facility in Riyadh With Ballistic Missiles and Drones →
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Al-Alimi launches offensive
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced on Sunday the start of military operations to retake remaining territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis and to extend the authority of the state and its institutions across Yemen. Al-Alimi said the decision came after attempts to reduce tension failed, and he accused the Houthis of continuing to mobilize forces and escalate fighting in response. The Yemeni government’s announcement followed the Houthis’ claim that they struck Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Ras Tanura region with ballistic missiles and drones, saying the attacks caused extensive fires.
The Houthis said their strikes were in response to 50 air and missile strikes by Saudi Arabia on Yemen in the last 12 hours, and Saudi Arabia had not yet confirmed the claim. Reuters said the United States is providing intelligence to Riyadh to support the operation in Yemen, while some regional and European countries provide mostly defensive military aid to Saudi Arabia.
Taiz becomes focal point
Fighting intensified around Yemen’s Taiz governorate, where Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Iran-backed Houthis struggle for control of a key strategic area in the southwest of the country. Ibrahim Jalal, a senior researcher and policy adviser, told Al Jazeera that “The Houthi attempt to isolate and constrict the city seeks to secure their coastal Red Sea gains up to Bab al-Mandeb.” Al Jazeera reported that government forces launched dozens of air strikes on Houthi bases and positions across Taiz in recent days, while Houthi fighters tried to advance under cover of intense artillery, tank, mortar and Katyusha rocket fire into the city.
An Anadolu Ajansı report said the Yemeni Army carried out 97 operations against the Houthis on the fronts of Taiz and Tur al-Baha and killed 260 fighters of the group. Al Jazeera also reported that local authorities said a shell hit a residential area in Dhubab, killing a 14-day-old infant, as other attacks wounded civilians.
Regional stakes and humanitarian risk
The offensive and the exchange of strikes between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition raised the stakes beyond Yemen, as the Houthis said they attacked Aramco sites in Riyadh and the Khurais region and Saudi Arabia had yet to comment. Reuters said the Houthis’ advance last month seized the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait and about 150 kilometers of coastline along the Red Sea within weeks, giving the group new influence over international shipping routes. The World Food Programme said last week that three-quarters of households in some parts of Yemen are hungry due to intensified fighting, which has driven tens of thousands from their homes and disrupted supplies to millions.
The National reported that Yemen’s government forces said they launched strikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada, hours after the Houthis claimed an attack on an Aramco oil site near Riyadh. Al-Alimi’s televised address also promised that every city reclaimed by the legitimate government would enter a phase of recovery and reconstruction, while he called on allies and the international community to stand by Yemen.