Yemeni forces launch counteroffensive against Houthis, vow to retake Sanaa
Bid to take the capital comes as clashes between Yemeni forces and Houthis intensify in the provinces of al-Bayda and al-Jawf.
Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government have launched counterattacks against the Houthi rebels, with officials saying they aim to recapture the capital, Sanaa, more than a decade after the Iran-backed Houthis seized it.
Major-General Samir Al-Sabri, Yemen’s deputy defence minister, said in remarks broadcast on state television on Monday that “the decision has been made to retake Sanaa”.
The announcement came as fighting intensified in the provinces of al-Bayda and al-Jawf, seen as the main gateway to the capital. The Houthis said seven people were killed in a strike on a prison in al-Hazm in al-Jawf.
The World Health Organization said on Monday that nearly 900 people have been killed or wounded since Thursday, with the majority in Taiz and along the western coast. It said an estimated 21,000 people – roughly 3,000 families – have been displaced from Taiz alone.