Yemen's Government Launches Major Offensive Against Houthi-Controlled Territory
Yemen's internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, has launched a large-scale military campaign to recapture territories held by the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement since 2014. The Houthis responded by firing missiles at Saudi Arabian airports, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
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Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced the beginning of a comprehensive military operation to recover all territories controlled by the Houthi movement, which has governed the capital Sanaa since 2014. The government claimed that its forces advanced along the Red Sea coast and retook Dhubab Airport and the port of Mocha, though the Houthis disputed these claims. The government also declared a strategic offensive targeting Sanaa and is attempting to reverse recent Houthi gains around the southwestern city of Taiz.
The conflict intensified after a period of relative stability ended in July, when fighting resumed following a significant Houthi offensive in early September that resulted in the capture of Mocha and the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, is now seeking to reverse these losses. However, Yemen analyst Raiman al-Hamdani told Al Jazeera that although government ground forces are numerically substantial, they face serious challenges. These forces remain distributed across multiple fronts and lack modern equipment, which limits their effectiveness against Houthi forces positioned in mountain strongholds.
In response, the Houthis launched missile attacks against Najran and Jizan airports in Saudi Arabia, causing structural damage and injuring three people. This escalation represents one of the most significant developments in Yemen's civil war recently and raises concerns about a wider regional conflict potentially involving Saudi Arabia and Iran.
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