Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government have launched counterattacks against the Houthi rebels, with officials saying the campaign aims to recapture Sanaa, the capital held by the group.
Fighting has intensified in al-Bayda and al-Jawf, while government-aligned forces have warned civilians to avoid major roads connecting Sanaa with Marib and al-Jawf. The Houthis said at least seven people were killed in a strike on a prison in al-Hazm.
Why al-Jawf and al-Bayda matter
Yemen’s Deputy Defence Minister, Major-General Samir Al-Sabri, said the Saudi Arabia-backed government had decided to “retake Sanaa”. Government-aligned forces spokesman Majid al-Nuzaili described the objective as liberating Yemen from Houthi control and restoring Sanaa as a capital for all Yemenis.
Al-Jawf borders Saudi Arabia and provides a route towards Saada, the Houthis’ main stronghold, while al-Bayda sits in central Yemen and connects eight governorates, according to an assessment of the fighting. Government forces said they had advanced towards the outskirts of Dhi Na’im district in al-Bayda and attacked Houthi positions in al-Jawf and west of Taiz.
Key figures
- Nearly 900 people have been killed or wounded since Thursday, according to the World Health Organization.
- An estimated 21,000 people, or about 3,000 families, have been displaced from Taiz.
- The casualty estimate does not include figures from Monday, according to a report from Sanaa.
Both sides report battlefield gains
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, claimed advances in al-Jawf, al-Bayda, Taiz and Hodeidah. The government-aligned forces’ media centre also reported air attacks west of Taiz and fighting around Yatma in al-Jawf.
The Houthis said they had repelled a large-scale advance towards the al-Labanat mountains in al-Jawf. Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Farah claimed government-aligned fighters were killed or wounded and said missiles struck reinforcements. The claims by both sides could not be independently verified. For additional context, see “Government warplanes strike Houthi positions in Yemen fighting”.
The escalation follows a Houthi offensive last week towards al-Makha and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after fighting resumed in July. Government forces had earlier struck Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport, blocking an aircraft from Iran, according to the account of the conflict.
Escalation follows a stalled truce
The latest hostilities are described as one of the most serious escalations since a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 halted large-scale fighting. That truce had raised hopes of a political settlement, but the efforts have faltered amid wider regional tensions.
The war began in 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa, followed by a Saudi-led military intervention the next year. The Houthis have also declared a blockade against Saudi vessels using the Red Sea route, a shipping corridor between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
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