Houthis say they hit Saudi sites with missiles, drones
ADEN: The leader of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government announced the beginning of a major military operation against the Houthis on Sunday, aimed at seizing the territory under their control. Regional and western officials had told Reuters earlier this week that Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies were planning to launch an assault on the Houthis, with the Saudis leading aerial combat and Yemeni…
Yemen's Saudi-backed government declared the initiation of a major military operation against the Houthis on Sunday, with the aim of reclaiming territory under their control. President Rashad al-Alimi announced this during a televised address. Saudi Arabia and Yemeni allies had previously been planning an assault on the Houthis, with Riyadh leading aerial combat and Yemeni forces engaging on the ground.
The Houthis retaliated with ballistic missile and drone strikes against Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Khurais, causing major fires. They claimed the attacks resulted from 50 Saudi-led air and missile strikes on Yemen in the past 12 hours. The counteroffensive was announced after all possible de-escalation efforts had been exhausted and the Houthis were accused of further escalating the conflict.
The Yemeni leader praised Saudi Arabia's support, urging regional allies and international partners for assistance. The US has provided intelligence support to Saudi operations, while other nations have offered defensive military aid. The truce from 2022 largely held, but the Houthis resumed attacks on Saudi shipping, oil infrastructure, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping route.
The Houthis now control the northwest of Yemen, where most of the population resides, and have gained ground in Taiz, threatening to blockade the city and the Saudi-backed government in Aden.
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