Yemen's internationally recognized government announced Sunday that its forces are beginning a major military operation aimed at reclaiming territory held by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, Reuters reported.
President Rashad al-Alimi said the campaign would continue “until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia," while a military spokesman called on the Houthis to surrender their weapons.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, have controlled Sanaa and large portions of northwestern Yemen since 2014.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 at the head of an Arab coalition supporting the recognized government after the Houthis seized Sanaa. A 2022 truce largely ended cross-border fighting until July, when hostilities escalated amid the wider conflict with Iran.
The Houthi offensive resulted in the group taking control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, including Mokha and three strategically located islands overlooking Bab el-Mandeb.
Houthi attacks have also targeted southern Saudi cities including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, wounding 73 civilians, among them women and children.
Sunday’s announcement by Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council came as the Houthis claimed to have fired ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais area.
The group said the strikes caused major fires and were retaliation for what it described as 50 Saudi-led air and missile attacks on Yemen over the previous 12 hours. Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed the Houthi claims.
Al-Alimi said the government had decided to launch the operation after all efforts to reduce tensions had been exhausted. He thanked Saudi Arabia for its support and urged Yemen's regional allies and international partners to assist the PLC's forces and institutions.
Regional and Western officials had warned on Friday that Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni partners were preparing an assault on the Houthis, with Saudi forces expected to provide air support while Yemeni forces conduct ground operations.
Riyadh has reportedly been considering either a limited operation around Bab el-Mandeb or a wider offensive on multiple fronts. The United States is providing intelligence and targeting assistance, while other regional and European allies are expected to limit their involvement to primarily defensive support rather than direct combat.