Following days of sustained conflict, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council government has resolved to reclaim the capital, Sana'a, from Houthi rebel control.

The announcement was made on Monday by Major General Samir al-Sabri, Deputy Defense Minister of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council government.

In a televised address broadcast on state-run Yemen TV on Monday, Major General al-Sabri stated, "The final decision to retake Sana'a has been adopted. There are many surprises ahead; we are not disclosing them just yet."

Majid al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni military, echoed the announcement in a post on the social media platform X on the same day. "Today we declare that our objective is clear and unambiguous: to liberate Yemen from the terrorist Houthi militia and re-establish Sana'a as the capital for all Yemenis," his post read.

Calling upon citizens from all walks of life to support the government's mission, Nuzaili added,

"We firmly state that all Yemenis are partners in the future, and there is no room for revenge, retribution, or discrimination among citizens of the same nation."

The Yemeni civil war began in 2014, and by 2015—just a year later—the Iran-backed armed political group of Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sana'a.

Following the capture, then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia. To reinstate his administration, a joint military campaign by Yemeni and Saudi forces was launched that same year.

Currently, roughly half of Yemen's territory is controlled by the Houthi movement, while the remainder is administered by the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council government, to which the internationally recognized Yemeni military is loyal.

Following eight years of war, the Houthis and the Presidential government entered an undeclared truce beginning in 2022.

However, following the outbreak of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip in late 2023, the Houthis became increasingly entangled in regional conflicts, launching attacks targeting Israel and commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, due to its ongoing conflict with the United States, Iran's Islamic Republic government is no longer able to provide the same level of support and assistance to the Houthis.

Capitalizing on this opening, the Yemeni military launched a renewed offensive this past July to bring Houthi-held territories back under state control.
Source: Anadolu Agency