Yemeni Government Vows To Retake Sanaa as Houthi Strikes Injure at Least 73 in Saudi ArabiaĀ Ā
By The Media Line StaffĀ Ā
The Yemeni government declared that it intends to retake the Houthi-held capital Sanaa as fighting intensifies with the Iranian-backed group, while Houthi missile and drone attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia injured 73 civilians and temporarily halted operations at energy facilities.Ā Ā
āThe decision has been made to retake Sanaa. There are surprises we will not reveal now,ā Al-Sabri told state-run Yemen TV on Monday.Ā Ā
Yemeni army spokesman Majid al-Nuzaili also announced the goal in a post on the US social media platform X.Ā Ā
āFrom today, we declare that our goal is clear and unequivocal: to liberate Yemen from the grip of the terrorist Houthi militias and restore Sanaa as a capital for all Yemenis,ā al-Nuzaili wrote.Ā Ā
The Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of Yemen in 2014. Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, subsequently fought the Iranian-backed group in a war that lasted nearly 12 years.Ā Ā
A ceasefire had been in place since April 2022, but the truce began to break down after a direct confrontation at a Houthi-controlled airport. The confrontation developed into ground offensives and maritime blockades by late summer.Ā Ā
The declaration on Sanaa comes as the Houthis expand attacks into Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, the group claimed missile and drone strikes on several sites in the kingdomās southwest.Ā Ā
Saudi coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said 73 civilians, including women and children, were injured in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. He called the attacks a ādangerous escalationā and said coalition forces āwill take all necessary operational measures to deter the Houthis, respond to sources of threat and neutralize the imminent danger.āĀ Ā
The Saudi Ministry of Energy said fires caused by attacks on several southern energy facilities temporarily halted operations.Ā Ā
Ansar Allah, the Houthisā media outlet, said the group targeted Abha International Airport, King Khalid Air Base and Saudi Aramco facilities in Abha and Jizan.Ā Ā
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned continued Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, declaring: āSaudi Arabia will not tolerate any aggression against its territory and resources.āĀ
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