Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government has announced a major military campaign to recapture territory controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis, escalating fighting after recent Houthi advances along the Red Sea and near Taiz.
Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said forces had been instructed to carry out an approved plan to restore state authority across Yemen.
He said state institutions would remain on full alert until the operation was completed.
The announcement followed intensified government and coalition attacks on Houthi positions.
A Yemeni government military spokesman said forces conducted 257 precision targeting operations on Saturday, with initial estimates indicating at least 700 Houthi fighters were killed.
Early Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition said it carried out another 97 targeting operations against Houthi reinforcements on the Tor al-Baha front and Taiz axis, using aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers.
Al-Alimi said the offensive followed the exhaustion of efforts to de-escalate the conflict and thanked Saudi Arabia for its support.
Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia was expected to lead aerial operations while Yemeni forces conducted ground fighting, with the United States providing intelligence support.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, said they launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Khurais in response to Saudi-led strikes in Yemen.
They claimed the attacks caused major fires, but Saudi Arabia provided no immediate confirmation.
The escalation follows a Houthi offensive last month that captured strategic territory around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and sections of Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Houthi forces have also recently advanced on strategic hilltops near Taiz, threatening the remaining road connecting the city with Aden.
The renewed fighting marks a sharp deterioration after a 2022 truce had largely restrained hostilities before collapsing this year.
The conflict has displaced tens of thousands amid worsening shortages, with the World Food Programme reporting that three in four families in parts of Yemen are going hungry.