WEBDESK - NAYADAUR
Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government on Sunday launched a major military operation aimed at retaking areas controlled by the Houthi movement, opening a new and potentially significant phase in the country’s long-running war.
Presidential Leadership Council President Rashad al-Alimi said in a televised address that government forces would continue their military operations until Houthi control was ended. He called on Yemen’s regional and international partners to support government forces and the Presidential Leadership Council's institutions.
A Yemeni military spokesman later called on the Houthis to lay down their weapons as government forces moved to intensify operations against Houthi positions.
The Houthis said they responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais area. The group claimed the attacks caused major fires and said they were carried out in response to around 50 air and missile strikes that it said the Saudi-led coalition had conducted in Yemen during the previous 12 hours.
Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed the Houthi claims.
Al-Alimi said the decision to launch the offensive came after efforts to reduce tensions had been exhausted. He also thanked Saudi Arabia for its support for the Yemeni government.
The escalation follows earlier reports that Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies were preparing for a major military operation against the Houthis. Regional and Western officials had told Reuters that Riyadh was expected to conduct air operations while Yemeni forces carried out ground operations.
According to six sources familiar with Saudi preparations, the United States is providing intelligence to support Saudi operations in Yemen. Regional and European countries are also providing military assistance, largely focused on defensive capabilities.
Houthi gains raise pressure around Taiz
The government offensive comes after the Houthis reportedly made gains over the past two days against government and local forces in strategic highlands near Taiz.
Military sources said the Houthi advances have brought the group closer to the last road linking Taiz with Aden, where Yemen’s Saudi-backed government is based.
Control of the Taiz-Aden route could have major military and humanitarian consequences. Cutting the road could isolate Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, where hundreds of thousands of civilians live alongside large numbers of government forces.
Taiz has remained one of the key battlegrounds of Yemen’s conflict because of its strategic location. The city and surrounding areas also have political significance for al-Alimi, who is from the region.
The latest fighting threatens to deepen a conflict that has already drawn in regional and international powers. Any sustained Saudi air campaign alongside a Yemeni ground offensive could also increase the risk of further missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory.
For civilians in Yemen, the renewed fighting could add to the consequences of years of conflict, displacement and economic disruption.
The latest developments mark a significant escalation between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthis, with the outcome of fighting around Taiz potentially affecting access routes, military positions and the broader balance of power in the country.