Source: Saudi Arabia is planning to launch a joint offensive against the Yemeni youth movement, with more than 100,000 troops

Sources revealed that Saudi Arabia is planning a joint offensive against the Yemeni rebel youth movement and may mobilize more than 100,000 troops. (Reuters)

Multiple sources revealed that in order to ensure the safety of Red Sea shipping, Saudi Arabia is planning a joint offensive against the Yemeni rebel youth movement (Houthi), and may mobilize more than 100,000 troops for the operation.

"Reuters" reported that six sources pointed out that this wave of offensive will be dominated by ground forces composed of Yemeni government forces and anti-youth movement organizations. Saudi Arabia will supervise the operation and provide air support. It is expected to launch within the next few weeks. The offensive may be launched within a week, but it may also wait until after the U.S. midterm elections in early November.

Western diplomats and Persian Gulf officials point out that the Saudi government believes that the youth movement has too much negotiating leverage when it controls the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and that the two sides cannot enter into peace talks. Therefore, the key goal of the Saudi offensive is to reverse this situation.

Officials explained that Saudi Arabia is considering two possible offensive plans. The first plan is to concentrate firepower on the area around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the other plan is to launch a large-scale offensive and apply simultaneous pressure from multiple fronts in Yemen's Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf provinces.

Officials who provided information to Reuters said that considering the scale of the offensive, the number of Yemeni government troops mobilized may exceed 100,000.