Yemeni Government Forces Launch Major Counteroffensive to Retake Sanaa from Houthi Rebels

Fighting in Yemen has escalated sharply as government forces launched a series of air strikes and counterattacks against Houthi targets, with officials announcing their objective to recapture the capital, Sanaa. This offensive comes more than a decade after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the city.

Major-General Samir Al-Sabri, Yemen’s deputy defence minister, stated in a broadcast on state television that the decision has officially been made to retake Sanaa. This announcement coincides with intensifying combat in the provinces of al-Bayda and al-Jawf, which serve as the primary gateways to the capital. Meanwhile, the Houthis reported that seven individuals were killed in a strike targeting a prison in al-Hazm, located in al-Jawf.

These renewed hostilities represent one of the most severe escalations since the United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 paused large-scale fighting. That war originally began when the Houthis captured Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year. Although diplomats initially hoped the truce would lead to a durable political settlement, those efforts stalled amid regional tensions linked to the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran.

Hostilities resumed in July when government forces struck the Houthi-controlled airport in Sanaa to block an incoming flight from Iran. Last week, the Houthis initiated a major offensive of their own, attempting to push through western Taiz and southern Hodeidah toward the port city of al-Makha and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, following their earlier declaration of a blockade against Saudi vessels in the waterway.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a critical corridor for shipping between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its strategic value for Saudi oil exports grew further after Iran began restricting transit through the Strait of Hormuz at the onset of the conflict involving the United States and Israel.

Ahmed al-Shalafi, Al Jazeera’s Yemen affairs editor, noted that Yemeni government forces appear to have absorbed the initial shock of the rebel offensive and widened operations across multiple fronts to stretch Houthi resources. He pointed out that while fighting concentrated west of Taiz and south of Hodeidah on Thursday, it has since expanded to al-Dhalea, Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda. Al-Jawf is particularly significant due to its border with Saudi Arabia and connection to Saada, the primary stronghold of the Houthis, while al-Bayda sits centrally and connects eight different governorates.

The renewed clashes have caused hundreds of casualties. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 900 people have been killed or wounded since Thursday, primarily in Taiz and along the western coast, with an estimated 21,000 people displaced from Taiz alone. Health officials warn that casualty numbers will likely continue to rise.

Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, reported significant military gains on Monday, highlighting advances made by government forces in al-Jawf, al-Bayda, Taiz, and Hodeidah. He asserted that the armed forces will continue their mission until state institutions and authority are restored across all of Yemen, while accusing the Houthis of prioritizing escalation over peace.

Majid al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for government-aligned forces, stated that the campaign aims to liberate Yemen from Houthi control and restore Sanaa as a capital for all citizens. He also issued a warning for civilians to avoid major roadways leading into the capital from Marib and al-Jawf, including routes through Nihm, Sirwah, Mahliyah, and al-Hazm.

The media centre for the government-aligned forces reported conducting air strikes on Houthi positions west of Taiz and engaging in intense battles in al-Jawf, alongside an advance toward the outskirts of Dhi Na’im district in al-Bayda. Conversely, the Houthis claimed to have repelled a large-scale advance by Saudi-backed forces toward the al-Labanat mountains in al-Jawf. Mohammed al-Farah, a member of the Houthi political bureau, stated on X that dozens of government-aligned fighters were casualties and that ballistic missile strikes destroyed or damaged multiple military vehicles and reinforcements.