Yemeni Government Launches Military Operation Against Houthi Rebels

DOHA, October 4. /TASS/. The internationally recognized government of Yemen has announced the launch of an operation against the rebel movement Ansar Allah (the Houthis).

"In accordance with our constitutional responsibility <...>, I hereby announce the launch of military operations to reclaim the remaining territories of the republic and to extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory," Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi said in an address to the nation, as quoted by the SABA agency.

He stressed that the decision to proceed "from the stage of preparations to the stage of liberation" was made after the authorities have exhausted all other options for a peaceful settlement. According to al-Alimi, the Houthis responded to the de-escalation efforts with the mobilization of their forces, involving minors in hostilities, attacking refugee camps, and expanding aggression and threats against civilians, neighboring countries, and international navigation routes. He issued an order to the country’s armed forces to launch operations against the Houthis.

He also addressed people living in Houthi-controlled regions, including Sana’a, Al-Hodeida, and Sa’ada, assuring them that this campaign "is not a war against civilians, religious groups or tribes". He urged the population to stay away from military facilities and Houthi supply routes. Al-Alimi also promised amnesty to all Ansar Allah members who lay down their arms. He specially appealed to government forces to abide by law and protect the civilian population. "No revenge, no retribution, no attacks on innocent people and no encroachment on people’s property," he stressed.

Along with the military campaign, the Yemeni government was tasked to draft a program for restoring state institutions in liberated territories. The plan includes resuming the payment of salaries to civil servants, taking into account the accumulated arrears, rebuilding infrastructure, and creating conditions for the return of refugees.

The armed confrontation between government forces and Houthi rebels has been continuing in Yemen since August 2014. The situation deteriorated dramatically this summer. In early August 2026, Ansar Allah launched an offensive in the country's southwest and took control of the port city of Mokha and territories along the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in western Yemen on September 10-11. Government forces mounted several counterattacks near the strait in the following days.