Yemen's presidential council announces operation to retake Sanaa from Houthis
In short
Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced the start of a military operation aimed at taking the capital Sanaa from the Houthis. In a post on X he said the operation, which Interfax and Kommersant named “Dawn of Yemen”, is meant to restore state institutions and end Houthi control of the capital. Al-Arabiya reported Yemeni forces attacked Houthi positions near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, and Reuters sources said government troops had seized part of the Dhubab district there.
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Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced the start of a military operation against the Houthis aimed at taking the capital Sanaa from them. In a post on X he said the operation is meant to restore state institutions, liberate Sanaa and end the Houthi “coup”, according to Interfax and Kommersant, which named the operation “Dawn of Yemen” and “Dawn” respectively. TASS reported that al-Alimi said the decision had been taken after the authorities exhausted all possibilities for a peaceful settlement. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Al-Arabiya reported that Yemen's military attacked Houthi positions near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait on Monday, Interfax said. Kommersant, citing Reuters and three sources taking part in the operation, reported that government troops had already seized part of the Dhubab district near the strait and were trying to take full control of it, with air support from Saudi Arabia's air force and no direct participation by allies expected. Kommersant also reported that up to 100,000 Yemeni troops could take part in the offensive. [ 4 , 6 ]
The operation follows a sharp escalation. Kommersant reported that the conflict, which began in 2014, intensified in July when the sides began exchanging strikes and the Houthis went on the offensive, taking control of western Yemen, including the approaches to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, by mid-September. The same outlet reported that Reuters sources said the Houthis had been advancing toward Aden, the temporary seat of the central authorities. Kommersant described the Bab-el-Mandeb approaches as an alternative route to the blocked Strait of Hormuz. [ 6 ]
Kommersant reported that Yemen's government declared a general mobilisation on 28 September, citing an acute shortage of personnel, and that al-Alimi then addressed both supporters and the Houthis, promising amnesty and cash rewards to those who switched to the government side. The same outlet said Sanaa has been under Houthi control for more than ten years. [ 6 ]
Why it matters
The campaign is aimed at Sanaa, which Kommersant says has been under Houthi control for more than ten years, and at the approaches to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a shipping route the documents describe as an alternative to the blocked Strait of Hormuz. Kommersant reports the conflict sharply escalated from July and that the Houthis took western Yemen, including the strait approaches, by mid-September. The documents give no assessment of whether the operation can succeed.
Key facts
- Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced a military operation to take the capital Sanaa from the Houthis. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- In a post on X, al-Alimi said the operation is aimed at restoring state institutions, liberating Sanaa and ending what he called the coup of the Houthis. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Interfax called the operation “Dawn of Yemen” and Kommersant called it “Dawn”; both cited al-Alimi's X post. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Al-Arabiya reported that Yemen's military attacked Houthi positions near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait on Monday. [ 4 ]
- Reuters, cited by Kommersant, reported that government troops had taken part of the Dhubab district near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and were trying to take full control of it, with air support from Saudi Arabia's air force and no direct participation by allies expected. [ 6 ]
- Kommersant reported that more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could take part in the offensive. [ 6 ]
- Yemen's government declared a general mobilisation on 28 September, citing an acute shortage of personnel, and al-Alimi offered Houthis amnesty and cash payments if they switched sides. [ 6 ]
- Kommersant reported that the conflict, which began in 2014, sharply escalated in July when the sides exchanged strikes and the Houthis went on the offensive, taking western Yemen including the approaches to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait by mid-September. [ 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Alimi announced a military operation aimed at ending Houthi control of Sanaa. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The stated goals of the operation include restoring state institutions and ending Houthi control of the capital, according to Alimi's statement. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Yemen's armed forces reported the start of the operation to liberate the capital. [ 5 ]
- Alimi said the decision to launch the operation was taken after the authorities had exhausted all possibilities for a peaceful settlement. [ 1 ]
- Fighting was reported near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait after the announcement. [ 4 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether government troops have taken part of the Dhubab district near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and how much territory they hold there. This is attributed to three unnamed sources in the operation, cited by Reuters and carried by Kommersant; no other outlet states it.
- The extent and nature of Saudi Arabia's role, reported as air support with no direct allied participation expected. Reported only by Kommersant, citing Reuters sources.
- Where and when al-Alimi issued the announcement, and where the operation's forces are based. The documents do not state the location of the announcement.
- Casualties or the military outcome of the operation, including whether the Houthi advance toward Aden continues. No casualty figures appear in any document, and the reported advance toward Aden is attributed only to sources cited by Reuters via Kommersant.
- The full text of Kommersant's final point about the Houthi capture of the Zucar and Perim islands. The document text is cut off mid-sentence.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that al-Alimi said the decision was taken after the authorities exhausted all possibilities for a peaceful settlement. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports an announcement in Yemen of a military operation to liberate the capital from the Houthis. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reports an announced operation to liberate Sanaa from the Houthis. [ 3 ]
- Interfax reports that al-Alimi announced the start of operation “Dawn of Yemen” in a post on X, and that Al-Arabiya reported Yemeni forces attacking Houthi positions near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait that day. [ 4 ]
- TASS reports that Yemen's armed forces announced the start of the operation to liberate the capital. [ 5 ]
- Kommersant reports the operation's stated goals, up to 100,000 possible participants, and Reuters-sourced accounts of fighting near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and Saudi air support. [ 6 ]