Rashad al-Alimi, the chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced the commencement of military operations aimed at retaking territory held by the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah. In a televised address on Sunday, al-Alimi stated that the goal is to restore state authority throughout Yemen. He instructed armed and security forces to execute their tasks under an approved plan until the country is liberated from Houthi control. Al-Alimi emphasized that all state institutions would be on full alert until the mission is completed.
The announcement follows reports from the Yemeni government army, which executed 257 precision targeting operations against Houthi positions on Saturday, resulting in an estimated 700 Houthi casualties, according to Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a spokesman for the internationally recognized government forces.
Turki al-Malik, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government, stated that the Houthis' connections to external agendas have led to chaos in Yemen. On the same day, the coalition reported conducting 97 precision operations against Houthi reinforcements using various military assets.
In response, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed that the group launched ballistic missiles and drones at two Saudi Aramco sites in Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate response from Saudi authorities.
Ibrahim Jalal, a London-based defense analyst, remarked that the new military operation marks a shift in the conflict, highlighting the failure of peace processes due to a longstanding power imbalance. He noted that decisive action is necessary to break the stalemate.
The conflict has escalated since a truce collapsed in July 2022, displacing hundreds of thousands. In September, the Houthis captured the port city of Mocha and strategic islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial route for global oil shipments, before anti-Houthi forces stabilized the front lines. Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting the government to retreat to Aden.