The Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, announced that it has launched a new military operation to reclaim all areas under Houthi control. This action comes as the Houthi group has made advances in Yemen and has recently managed to besiege a city under government control.
Announcement of the military operation
Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Yemeni Presidential Council, stated in a statement: "Today, I announce the beginning of a military operation to reclaim the remaining areas of the Republic and to expand the authority of the government and its institutions across the national territory." This announcement sets an ambitious goal for the Yemeni government, which has recently lost parts of the Red Sea coast and areas around the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
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Houthi advances and military responses
Despite military support from Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government faces serious challenges in reclaiming areas under Houthi control. In recent weeks, the Houthis have increasingly attacked Saudi Arabia and announced on Sunday that they have once again targeted the country's oil infrastructure.
This announcement came just hours after the Houthis cut off a vital supply route connecting the besieged city of Taiz to the temporary capital of the government, Aden. According to security reports, the Houthi advances followed days of intense fighting around this city.
The battles in western Taiz province have resulted in the deaths of over 70 people in the past 24 hours. Yemeni military sources report that 34 government soldiers and 39 Houthi fighters have lost their lives in these battles.
The city of Taiz remains under the control of government forces, but is heavily besieged from the north, east, and west, and remains one of the main fronts of Yemen's civil war.
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, announced on Sunday that the group has launched ballistic missiles and drones towards Aramco oil facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais area in the east, resulting in large fires in these areas.
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