Yemen government announces all-out operation to retake territory from Houthis

Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi announced military operations to retake territory controlled by the Houthis and extend government authority across the country.

The declaration came after several days of exchanges between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. In a televised address, al-Alimi said the government would seek to recover the republic’s remaining territory.

Strikes on oil infrastructure

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had launched a ballistic missile and drone attack on Saudi Aramco sites in Riyadh and the oil-rich Khurais area. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the claim.

The Houthis said the attack responded to 50 coalition strikes in 12 hours. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel said at least two people were wounded in Saudi strikes on Houthi targets on Sunday.

Fighting around Taiz

The Houthis seized Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, during an offensive last month. They have also held the capital, Sanaa, for more than a decade.

The main frontline is now around Taiz, which remains under the control of the internationally recognised government. AFP, citing three Yemeni military sources, reported that the Houthis had cut the supply route between Taiz and Aden, effectively encircling the city.

Farea Al-Muslimi, a Chatham House research fellow, told AFP that the Houthis had achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, although they had not fully taken control of the city.

War after Sanaa’s capture

Yemen’s war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital and large parts of the north. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year, leading an international coalition in support of the government.

After several years of relative calm, fighting resumed in July amid the wider conflict in the Middle East. Yemen remains one of the world’s poorest countries and is facing a major humanitarian crisis.