Yemen’s Saudi-backed government launched an offensive Sunday to retake all territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis, widening a war that flared in July after a de facto ceasefire of about four years.
Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the Presidential Leadership Council, declared the operation in a televised address from Riyadh. He said the armed forces will press on until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia. He blamed the Houthis’ ongoing buildup and attacks, and their threats against civilians and shipping lanes. A military spokesman called on the Houthis to surrender their weapons.
The Yemeni military said it struck Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada. The Houthis said they hit Aramco sites in Riyadh and Khurais with ballistic missiles and drones, in response to roughly 50 Saudi-led strikes over 12 hours, and that the attacks started large fires. An AFP journalist saw flames rising south of Riyadh, but Saudi officials and Aramco did not say what caused them.
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The Houthi movement, also called Ansar Allah, has held Sanaa and much of the northwest since 2014. In September, it took the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and about 90 miles of Red Sea shoreline, its biggest gain in years. Houthi forces have since attacked government forces around Taiz, a key southwestern city.
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The Institute for the Study of War said Houthi fighters took control of the main supply route linking Taiz and Aden on October 4 in a push for the city, and that it had not yet seen government forces launch offensive operations.
The new fighting began in July, when the government struck the Sanaa airport runway after an Iranian flight landed there. The Houthis then announced a naval blockade of Saudi shipping and resumed missile attacks on Saudi territory.
The US is sharing intelligence with Riyadh, according to people briefed on Saudi preparations, while other regional and European governments offer mostly defensive support. A Mecca Defense Pact committee that includes Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan is due to meet in Riyadh this week to consider Iran’s proposal for political engagement with the Houthis in place of military action.
The fighting has uprooted tens of thousands of people, and the World Food Programme says food insecurity affects 75% of families in some areas.
