Yemen’s internationally recognized government has launched a major military campaign to retake territory controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, President Rashad al-Alimi announced on October 4, according to the BBC’s Russian Service.
“Today I announce the launch of military operations to liberate the remaining territory of the republic and extend state authority across the entire country,” al-Alimi said in a televised address, according to Reuters.
The announcement came amid a sharp escalation in fighting. Houthi forces have recently advanced near Taiz, threatening the last major road linking the city with Aden, the interim seat of Yemen’s government. Military sources told Reuters that control of the route could effectively place Taiz under siege.
Government forces have also carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions. On October 2, Yemen’s military said it had conducted 20 strikes in Taiz province targeting Houthi personnel, vehicles and military equipment.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have claimed missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets. On October 3, the group said it had attacked an Aramco facility in Riyadh. An AFP journalist reported seeing flames and smoke near an Aramco facility south of the Saudi capital, although Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the attack.
The Houthis later claimed that attacks on Saudi oil facilities were carried out in response to Saudi-led strikes on Yemen. Reuters reported that the group said it had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Aramco sites in Riyadh and the Khurais area in response to around 50 Saudi-led air and missile strikes over a 12-hour period. Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed the claims.
Conflict enters new phase
The Houthis seized control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and have since maintained control over large parts of the country’s northwest. Saudi Arabia intervened in the conflict in 2015 at the head of an Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s government. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major fighting, but the conflict has escalated sharply this year.
The latest fighting has also raised concerns over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important shipping route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Recent Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast have increased the group’s leverage over maritime traffic in the area.
The renewed fighting is also worsening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that three out of four families in government-controlled areas are facing food insecurity as fighting disrupts supplies and forces people from their homes.
