Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi has announced new military operations.
“Today, I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory,” Al-Alimi said in a televised address, according to the BBC. Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday announced the launch of military operations to retake territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis, declaring that government forces would seek to restore state authority across the country.
The latest escalation comes against the backdrop of Yemen’s war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and expanded their control across northern Yemen.
“Both operations successfully achieved their objectives,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, according to the BBC. The announcement followed a major Houthi offensive last month, during which the Iran-backed group seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including areas around the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Houthis have also continued to advance around Taiz, a key government-held city in southwestern Yemen. The immediate battlefield focus is Taiz, where the Houthis have reportedly cut a vital supply route linking the city with Aden, the interim capital of the Yemeni government. Government and Saudi-led coalition forces have been targeting Houthi military positions as the government seeks to weaken the group before attempting to reclaim territory. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.