Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has launched a major counteroffensive to retake territory captured by Houthi militants, as the conflict between the Iran-backed rebels and Saudi Arabia escalates. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, ordered the army to begin operations “until the country is liberated from the terrorist militia,” weeks after Houthis captured swaths of new territory and the Red Sea port of Mocha. The Houthis have reignited the long-running conflict, attacking oil installations and tankers while making their largest territorial gains in years, capturing the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Analysts said Alimi’s ambition had scant chance of succeeding. “The government pushback is too little, too late,” said Farea al-Muslimi of Chatham House, citing internal fragmentation, disorganised forces, and bad morale. Major General Turki al-Maliki of the Saudi-led coalition said they would provide “full operational support,” with 100 fighter jets destroying 324 “high-value targets” on Monday. The offensive coincided with a high-level meeting in Riyadh of the Mecca mutual defence pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The pact has condemned Houthi attacks but has not yet intervened. Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi Aramco sites in Riyadh and Khurais. Yemen’s armed forces spokesperson Majid al-Nuzaili said government forces conducted 1,122 “precision-targeting operations” against Houthi strongholds including Saada, al-Jouf, Taiz, and the Red Sea coast, claiming to have retaken Bab al-Mandeb and started a “strategic offensive” on Sana’a.
Houthis denied government advances, confirming only air strikes on the capital.
Source: Financial Times Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing