The Yemeni government, led by President Rashad al-Alimi, has initiated a large-scale military operation to reclaim territories held by the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia. In a televised address, al-Alimi stated that the armed forces would pursue the offensive until the country is liberated from the Houthis' control. The government's decision to launch the counteroffensive comes after exhausting all possibilities of de-escalating the conflict.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa and significant portions of the northwest since 2014. Despite facing numerous attacks from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and their Western allies, the Houthis have maintained their stronghold. Recently, they captured the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait and 150 km of coastline on the Red Sea, gaining leverage over the international shipping route.
The Yemeni government's announcement of the counteroffensive coincided with Houthi claims of launching ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco sites in Riyadh and the Khurais area of Saudi Arabia. The Houthis stated that their attacks caused major fires in response to 50 Saudi-led air and missile strikes in Yemen within the past 12 hours. However, there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia.
Regional and Western officials had previously informed Reuters that Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies were planning to launch an assault on the Houthis, with Saudi Arabia leading aerial combat and Yemeni forces fighting on the ground. The US is providing intelligence to support Riyadh's operations in Yemen, while some regional and European nations are offering mainly defensive military aid to the kingdom.
The conflict in Yemen has been ongoing for years, involving various local armed groups and factions backed by competing regional and international actors. Following a popular uprising in 2011, the Houthis captured Sanaa. The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) has controlled the south and east of the country, based in the former South Yemen capital of Aden, since the Houthi takeover.
The humanitarian situation in Yemen has deteriorated significantly, with three in four families in parts of the country facing hunger due to the surge in fighting. The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of people and disrupted supplies to millions, according to the World Food Programme. The potential siege of Taiz, a strategic city inhabited by hundreds of thousands of civilians, would exacerbate the already-dire humanitarian crisis.
President al-Alimi expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its support and called on Yemen's regional allies and international partners to back the PLC forces and institutions. The outcome of the government's counteroffensive and its impact on the humanitarian situation in Yemen remain uncertain.
Key points
- The Yemeni government has launched a major military campaign to recapture areas controlled by Iran-backed Houthis.
- The conflict has resulted in a dire humanitarian situation, with widespread hunger and displacement.
- The government's counteroffensive has the support of Saudi Arabia and potentially other regional and international allies.
