Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a major military campaign on Sunday to recapture territory held by Houthi rebels. The offensive comes just before an emergency meeting in Riyadh involving leaders from Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia under the Makkah agreement. Fighting has intensified, with both sides reporting significant casualties: 34 government troops and 39 Houthis killed near Taiz province over the past day. This development follows recent Houthi gains that have captured strategic coastal areas and threatened key shipping routes in the Red Sea.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Saudi Arabia is planning an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, with options including securing the Red Sea shipping route or launching a broader assault across multiple fronts. The operation, expected within weeks, will involve Yemeni ground forces overseen by Riyadh and supported by Saudi air strikes. While the US provides intelligence support and some European and regional nations offer defensive aid, direct combat involvement from these allies is not anticipated.
The conflict in Yemen began when Houthi fighters drove out the internationally recognized government from Sanaa, leading Saudi Arabia to intervene militarily in 2015 at the head of an Arab coalition. A truce agreed upon between warring parties in 2022 largely held until this year, when Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi shipping and oil infrastructure.
In response, Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi announced the start of military operations to retake territories controlled by Houthi forces and extend state authority across all national territory. The renewed fighting comes after Houthi militants seized significant portions of Yemen's Red Sea coast in September, including strategic ports like Mocha and islands within the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
This intensifying conflict has severe humanitarian implications, with millions facing acute hunger and hundreds of thousands displaced. The situation could also exacerbate regional tensions if more countries get drawn into the war.
Written for “Yemen Offensive Against Houthis” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
• Pakistan, Turkiye, S. Arabia to hold strategic political, defence talks today
•
asserted
Pakistan → hold → talks
Yemen’s govt says offensive intended to retake all areas recently captured by Houthis
ISTANBUL:
asserted
offensive → say → Houthis
Yemen’s internationally-recognised Saudi-backed government on Sunday launched a major military campaign to recapture territory held by the Houthis, just a day before Riyadh hosts an emergency meeting of the Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia leaders under the Makkah agreement.
asserted
Riyadh → recognise → agreement
The announcement for the major military offensive, aimed at retaking all areas under Houthi control, came from the head of Yemen’s presidential council, Rashad al-Alimi.
asserted
announcement → aim → council
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said earlier on Friday that a meeting of Makkah Defence Alliance’s Strategic Political Defence Committee (SPDC) would focus on the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
asserted
meeting → say → Arabia
Fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis showed no signs of abating over the weekend, with the Houthis saying the kingdom had launched dozens of strikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa after which they attacked an Aramco facility with ballistic missiles and drones in south of Riyadh.
asserted
they → show → Riyadh
The foes have traded strikes since the Houthis seized all of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and took control of the Bab al-Mandab strait in a lightning offensive.
asserted
Houthis → trade → offensive
On Sunday, the Houthis also cut a vital supply route linking the besieged city of Taiz with the government’s interim capital Aden, according to four security sources.
uncertain
Houthis → cut → sources
Just hours later, Yemen’s presidential council head said, “I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory.”
asserted
I → say → territory
He called on all the armed forces to begin carrying out their assigned missions, in accordance with the approved plans, until the country is liberated from the grip of the Houthis.
asserted
country → call → Houthis
Sources from both sides told AFP on Sunday that fighting in and around Taiz province has killed more than 70 people over the past day.
asserted
fighting → tell → day
Sources from the internationally recognised government reported that 34 troops were killed — 20 on the edge of Taiz province in neighbouring Lahj — while Houthi military sources said 39 of their fighters were killed in fighting across Taiz and in border areas with Lahj.
asserted
39 → recognise → Lahj
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, have controlled Yemen’s capital Sanaa and large parts of the northwest, where most of the population lives, since 2014.
asserted
most → know → 2014
They have withstood a series of attacks over the years by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their Western allies.
asserted
They → withstand → Arabia
The movement launched a surprise offensive last month which captured the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait and some 150km of coast on the Red Sea in a matter of weeks, giving the Houthis new leverage over the international shipping route.
asserted
which → launch → route
That advance also opened a new front in the US-Israeli war launched in February against Iran, to which Tehran’s responses included choking oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, to the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
asserted
responses → open → Peninsula
Alimi said the decision to launch the counteroffensive came after all chances of de-escalating the conflict had been exhausted.
asserted
chances → say → conflict
He thanked Saudi Arabia for its support and called on Yemen’s regional allies and international partners to support the Yemen forces and institutions.
asserted
He → thank → forces
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 forces fighting on the ground.
asserted
forces → tell → ground
The US is already providing intelligence to support Riyadh’s operations in Yemen, while some regional and European nations are providing mainly defensive military aid to the kingdom, six people with knowledge of the Saudi preparations told Reuters.
asserted
people → provide → Reuters
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia would meet in Riyadh on Monday to discuss the developing situation.
asserted
ministers → meet → situation
According to Mr Dar, this was an emergency meeting which would focus on the Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, as the previous meeting of foreign ministers in New York had done.
uncertain
meeting → accord → York
The committee would meet again as planned after “the end of October or beginning of November”.
asserted
committee → meet → November
“The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage reached in the Alliance’s institutionalisation efforts,” the Turkish foreign ministry said.
asserted
ministry → address → efforts
It said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of the General Staff Gen Selcuk Bayraktaroglu would attend the meeting of the pact’s strategic political and defence committee, along with officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
asserted
Fidan → say → Pakistan
The Aporia
