Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced on Sunday, 4 October 2026, the launch of military operations to retake the remaining areas under Houthi control, saying their aim was to extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the country. The announcement came in a televised address amid an escalation on the Taiz and western coast fronts.
Al-Alimi orders launch of military operations
Today, we announce the launch of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory
The chairman of the council described the stage as decisive, saying the operations were intended, according to him, to restore security and rights to citizens in areas controlled by the Houthis. He stressed that the residents of Sanaa, Hodeidah and Saada, as well as the tribal and sectarian communities, were not targets of the military operations.
Al-Alimi urged residents of areas under Houthi control to stay away from the group's gathering sites and called on families to prevent their children from joining the fighting. He said the measure of the operations' success would be citizens' recovery of their sense of security, adding that cities retaken by the government would enter a phase of stability, recovery and reconstruction.
Al-Alimi also called on the international community to support the Yemeni government and praised Saudi Arabia's backing, describing it as a partner in security and a shared destiny. Regional and Western officials had spoken of preparations for an operation involving Yemeni forces on the ground, supported by Saudi air power.
Houthi advance threatens Taiz-Aden road
The announcement followed an escalation in fighting over recent weeks, with the Houthis making rapid advances along the western coast and seizing strategic areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the sea passage at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The highlands around Taiz also saw clashes and an advance by the group towards the last road linking the city with Aden, the seat of the Yemeni government.
Military sources said the Houthis had made gains in the 48 hours before the announcement in strategic highlands near Taiz. Control of the road linking Taiz and Aden would effectively impose a siege on the city, which is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians and thousands of government troops.
Yemeni political analyst Mohammed al-Qadi said control of the rugged mountains in western Taiz countryside could help the Houthis protect their positions in the coastal areas around Bab al-Mandab and make any attempt to retake them more difficult. Taiz is also more significant because of its location between the interior areas and the south-western coast.
Government forces and coalition announce field operations
Government forces announced that they had carried out hundreds of operations against Houthi positions, movements and military capabilities, while the Saudi-led coalition said it had conducted targeting operations on the Tawr al-Bahah and Taiz fronts using aircraft, artillery, missiles and other combat means. These figures and field results were issued by the government forces and the coalition.
The war in Yemen dates back to the Houthis' takeover of the capital Sanaa in 2014 and the government's withdrawal to Aden. Saudi Arabia entered the war in 2015 at the head of an Arab coalition in support of the internationally recognised government, before a truce reached in 2022 led to a broad reduction in fighting for several years.
Renewed fighting worsens humanitarian crisis
Humanitarian conditions deteriorated as clashes resumed, displacing tens of thousands and disrupting supplies to millions of people.
The World Food Programme reported that three out of every four families in some areas of Yemen were facing hunger because of the escalating fighting, amid continued military operations on several fronts.
