Aden: Yemen’s Saudi backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) announced a major military offensive on Sunday to recapture territory held by the Houthis, following advances by the group along the Red Sea coast and around the city of Taiz.
Rashad al Alimi, head of the PLC, the executive body leading Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said the campaign would continue until government control was restored. He argued that opportunities to reduce tensions had been exhausted.
A military spokesperson subsequently urged Houthi fighters to surrender their weapons.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah and backed by Iran, have controlled Sanaa and much of northwestern Yemen since 2014. Last month, they seized the Bab el Mandeb Strait and around 150 kilometres of coastline.
Bab el Mandeb is the narrow passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Its position makes it critical to shipping between Europe and Asia.
As the offensive was announced, the Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Khurais. They described the strikes as retaliation for 50 Saudi led attacks in Yemen during the preceding 12 hours. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the claims.
Regional and Western officials had outlined plans for Saudi air operations supporting Yemeni ground forces. Sources familiar with the preparations also said Washington was providing intelligence assistance.
Military sources reported further Houthi advances near Taiz over the preceding 48 hours. Capturing the remaining road linking Taiz with Aden could leave the city effectively besieged, restricting movement and supplies for hundreds of thousands of residents.
A 2022 truce had largely reduced fighting until the renewed escalation this year.
The World Food Programme warned last week that three in four families in parts of Yemen were going hungry. Renewed fighting has displaced tens of thousands and disrupted supplies to millions, adding to the risks facing civilians.
