Yemeni leader announces military operations to retake Houthi-held areas

ADEN, Yemen -- Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced from the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday the start of a large-scale military campaign to retake remaining Houthi-held areas, marking a major escalation in the country's conflict.

In a televised address broadcast by Yemen's state television from Riyadh, Al-Alimi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said the government was moving "from the preparation phase to the action phase," formally launching a broader military campaign after weeks of mobilization.

The decision followed resolutions by the country's National Defense Council and came after what he described as the exhaustion of opportunities for de-escalation, he said, accusing the Houthis of using the period of restraint to mobilize more fighters and expand attacks.

Seeking to reassure people in Houthi-held areas, Al-Alimi stressed that the large-scale military campaign was not directed against residents of Sanaa, Saada, Hodeidah or other provinces under the group's control, nor against any religious sect or tribe.

"You are not the target of these operations," he said, urging residents to stay away from military positions, troop concentrations and supply routes. He also renewed an offer of amnesty and safe return for Houthi fighters who lay down their weapons and stop fighting.

The announcement came at a critical point on the battlefield, with the Houthis making fresh territorial gains Sunday in southwestern Taiz province.

A Yemeni military official told Xinhua earlier in the day that Houthi fighters had advanced through parts of Ash Shamayatayn and neighboring Al-Ma'afer districts in Taiz, capturing several positions and forcing government forces to retreat.

The escalation has increasingly spilled across Yemen's borders. The Houthis said Saturday they targeted an Aramco facility in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, while accusing Saudi Arabia of carrying out intensified airstrikes across Houthi-held areas of Yemen.

Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.