Al-Alimi Announces the Start of Operations to "Recover What Remains of Yemen's Lands"

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On Sunday, the President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, announced the start of military operations to reclaim what remains of Yemen's territory, confirming that the government has moved from a state of readiness to a "stage of action to restore the state."

In a speech addressed to the Yemenis, Al-Alimi stated that the current steps are part of a path he announced on September 26 to prepare for what he described as the "national battle," noting that the state has given the option of peace the time and opportunities it deserves.

The announcement comes after a military escalation witnessed on several fronts in recent weeks, amid clashes between the forces loyal to the Yemeni government and the Houthis. The government forces had announced in September that they achieved field gains in Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, Taiz, and Al-Hudaydah.

Al-Alimi confirmed that the authorities have moved from a state of readiness to action, announcing the start of military operations aimed at reclaiming the remaining areas outside the government's control.

The President of the Leadership Council had called for a general mobilization in late September and directed the implementation of measures related to the decision to open the "safe return" for those wishing to leave the ranks of the Houthis, according to the official website of the Presidency of the Leadership Council.

Alimi also stated in his speech that his government has "exhausted all opportunities for calm" with the Houthis, accusing the group of targeting neighboring countries and international waterways, and involving children in the fighting.

Alimi had previously confirmed, during consultations with military leaders on October 1, that operations would continue according to a plan aimed, as he said, at restoring state institutions and the capital, Sana'a, and ending Houthi control.

Alimi's announcement represents a new escalation in the course of the Yemeni war, after years that saw a relative decrease in the intensity of large-scale battles. The Associated Press reported on Sunday that airstrikes targeted Sana'a and Saada Governorate, while government forces claimed responsibility for the strikes, in a development described by the agency as a significant escalation after years of relative calm.

The Presidential Leadership Council had confirmed in August the readiness of the armed forces and military formations to restore state institutions, before the government spoke in September about regaining the initiative on several fronts.

The announcement of the start of operations opens a new phase of confrontation in Yemen, while the nature of the operations, their scope, and the upcoming field objectives remain linked to the developments on the fronts in the coming period.