Yemen forces launch push against Houthis

Yemen's internationally recognized government launched military operations on Sunday to reclaim areas controlled by the Houthi militant group, seeking to restore stability as the region works to prevent conflicts from spreading beyond the Middle East.

Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced the start of the operations on X.

On Monday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said the military had begun large-scale implementation of "Operation Dawn of Yemen" targeting Houthi capabilities and forces.

He said the Giants Forces and Homeland Shield had taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, referring to a pro-government militia and a military force controlled by the internationally recognized government. The forces also captured Dhubab airport, he said.

Some Houthi fighters were fleeing by boat after being besieged, he added.

The war in Yemen began in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi Arabia-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.

Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesman for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said on Sunday that the coalition's Joint Forces Command continues to provide operational support to the Yemeni Armed Forces.

Al-Malki said Houthi attacks had led to internal blockades and the forced displacement of people from their cities and villages, as well as starvation, looting and the rationing of resources.

Such actions, including the alleged recruitment of child soldiers, had subjected the Yemeni people to years of suffering, he said.

'Inherent right'

Houthi attempts to target Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait underscored the need for measures "to deter the hostile acts" and protect regional and international security, Al-Malki said. Riyadh, he added, "has an inherent right to defend its sovereignty, protect its security and its citizens".

The Houthis said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had launched 106 air and missile strikes across Houthi-held areas over the past 24 hours, as the Yemeni government announced its new military campaign, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Saudi attacks hit Sanaa and provinces including Al-Jawf and Taiz, bringing the number of Saudi air and missile strikes since the latest escalation began to 1,516.

Saudi Arabia has not commented on the allegations. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, Al Jazeera reported.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the security cooperation pact on Aug 7 to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defense cooperation.

In other developments, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told ambassadors, heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of international organizations in Tehran on Sunday that there is "no military solution and no solution based on more sanctions", referring to the ongoing conflict with the United States.

Araghchi called for a "solution based on negotiation, justice, fairness and diplomatic dignity", the Mehr News Agency reported.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com