Yemen government launches military campaign to retake all Houthi-held territory

Yemen’s internationally recognised government announced on Sunday the launch of a new military operation aimed at retaking all territory controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, as the rebels made further advances and effectively encircled the government-held city of Taiz.

Presidential Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said the offensive would seek to restore state authority across the country and ordered government forces to begin operations under previously approved military plans.

“I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory,” Alimi said.

He urged the armed forces to carry out their missions until Yemen was “liberated” from the Houthis.

The announcement came shortly after Houthi fighters seized the al-Safiya area, cutting a key supply route connecting Taiz with the government’s interim capital, Aden, according to security and military sources. The advance followed several days of intense fighting around the area.

Government forces still control Taiz city, but the Houthis have long surrounded it from the north, east and west. The latest advance has effectively isolated the city from Aden, according to regional analysts.

Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House, said the Houthis had achieved their immediate military objective by severing the route between Taiz and Aden, while expressing doubts over the government’s ability to reverse the situation through its planned offensive.

Fighting in Taiz and neighbouring areas has reportedly killed more than 70 people over the past 24 hours, according to sources from both sides. Government sources said 34 of its troops were killed, while Houthi military sources reported 39 fighters killed.

The latest escalation comes after years of relative calm in Yemen, with the civil war intensifying again in July amid the broader conflict in the Middle East.

The conflict has also increasingly involved Saudi Arabia, which has led an anti-Houthi coalition since 2015. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on Sunday that the group had launched ballistic missiles and drones against Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the oil-rich Khurais region.

Saree said the attacks caused major fires, while Houthi media reported Saudi airstrikes on the northern governorates of al-Jawf and Saada, with at least two people reportedly wounded.

Saudi Arabia has continued to support Yemen’s government with military assistance, including air operations against Houthi positions. Analysts believe recent strikes on rebel targets were largely carried out by Saudi aircraft.

Yemen’s latest escalation comes amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis in one of the world’s poorest countries. The civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and subsequently expanded their control across much of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily the following year to support the internationally recognised government.