Yemen’s internationally recognized government says its forces have made significant territorial gains after launching a major military campaign aimed at retaking areas controlled by the Houthis, as fighting intensifies across the country.
Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced the campaign following weeks of heavy clashes and Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast and around the strategically important city of Taiz.
Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, said Monday they had regained control of the Dhubab district near the Bab al-Mandeb strait and later captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha. The Houthis have disputed the government’s claim regarding Dhubab.
The government also announced what it described as a “strategic” offensive toward the capital, Sanaa, which has been controlled by the Houthis since 2014.
The escalation follows the collapse in July of a fragile truce that had helped reduce fighting since 2022. More than 100,000 people have reportedly been displaced since hostilities intensified.
Last month, the Iran-aligned Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, launched an offensive that reportedly captured about 150 kilometres of coastline along the Red Sea, including territory near the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
The narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, making control of surrounding territory strategically significant for Yemen and international shipping.
Yemen’s government says its latest military operations have targeted Houthi positions across Saada, al-Jawf and Taiz governorates, as well as areas along the country’s western coast.
Military spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili claimed government forces had “neutralized” 1,747 Houthi fighters during 1,122 operations. He also said 364 military and logistical vehicles had been destroyed or disabled.
Those battlefield figures have not been independently verified.
According to al-Nuzaili, the operations have involved aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers and have targeted rocket and artillery positions, fortifications, supply routes, reinforcements and command centres.
The internationally recognized government is also appealing for greater international assistance as it seeks to push back Houthi forces.
Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba called on international partners to support Yemen’s government and state institutions, arguing that restoring stability is also in the broader international interest.
The renewed fighting marks a major escalation in Yemen’s long-running conflict, which began after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014 and expanded after a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the internationally recognized government the following year.
With government forces now claiming advances along the Red Sea coast and preparing operations toward Sanaa, the latest offensive could reshape front lines that had remained relatively stable for several years.
