Yemen announces campaign to retake Houthi-held territory

Yemen’s internationally recognized government has announced a campaign to retake territory held by Houthi forces, as renewed fighting follows Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast and around Taiz. The government says its forces have carried out more than 1,000 operations against Houthi positions, but the reported military results and control of contested areas remain uncertain. Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, said on Sunday that armed and security forces had been ordered to carry out an approved plan to recover territory and restore state authority. The announcement came after weeks of intensified clashes, including a Houthi offensive in September that reports say captured about 150 kilometers of Red Sea coastline and areas near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. On Monday, military spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said government forces had conducted more than 1,000 operations targeting artillery and rocket positions, fortifications, supply lines, reinforcements and other logistical assets. He also reported that 1,747 Houthi fighters had been neutralized and 364 military and logistical vehicles destroyed or disabled.