Saudi-led coalition pledges support for Yemen government in anti-Houthi campaign
The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday it would continue supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and armed forces in their campaign to retake Houthi-held territory and restore state institutions across the country.
“We will stand with Yemen and its people until the state and its institutions are restored and the Houthi militia is eliminated,” coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki said.
Al-Malki said coalition operations would continue in support of the Yemeni government and its armed forces to “end the Houthi coup” and restore the state.
His remarks came after Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi announced earlier on Sunday the start of military operations aimed at retaking the remaining territory controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
Al-Alimi said he had ordered government forces to begin carrying out their missions after exhausting opportunities for de-escalation, declaring that Yemen had moved “from the stage of preparation to the stage of action to restore the state.”
Yemen’s armed forces subsequently announced the start of a “battle of liberation,” saying the campaign aimed to retake all Houthi-held territory, restore government institutions and establish full state sovereignty.
Al-Malki also said the coalition would continue taking measures to end Houthi threats to freedom of navigation, amid heightened concerns over maritime security around Yemen and the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
He accused the Houthis of years of abuses against Yemenis, including forcibly displacing people from their villages and cities, plundering the country’s resources and undermining tribal leaders and communities.
The militia’s actions had torn apart Yemen’s national fabric and brought years of suffering to the population, he added.
Turning to recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, al-Malki said the Kingdom had the right to defend its sovereignty and security and would take whatever measures were necessary to deter further attacks.
He said Houthi attempts to target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina required a deterrent response, adding that the coalition would act to protect both Saudi sovereignty and regional security.
The warning follows a series of Houthi attacks against the Kingdom. The coalition said last week that the militia targeted the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina with a drone, damaging a transformer but not disrupting the wider electricity grid. The facility provides electricity services to the Prophet’s Mosque, according to the coalition.
Saudi defenses have also intercepted ballistic missiles and drones targeting areas including Khamis Mushait and Jazan in recent days.
Al-Alimi, meanwhile, said earlier on Sunday that the new military campaign was not directed against civilians in Houthi-controlled areas such as Sanaa, Hodeidah and Saada, and said an offer of safe return and amnesty would remain open to those who lay down their weapons.
