Yemen Counter-Offensive Announced After Houthis Cut Aden-Taiz Supply Route in ww3 map

Yemen's presidential council leader Rashad al-Alimi announced the launch of a new military counter-offensive to retake all territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis, hours after the group cut the main Aden-Taiz supply route and effectively encircled the government-held city of Taiz. [1] This development is significant in the ww3 map of regional conflicts. The announcement marks the latest major escalation in the war against the Houthis following a rapid offensive by the Iran-backed group last month that saw them seize large swaths of the Red Sea coastline. [1]

Announcement of Counter-Offensive

The head of Yemen's presidential council on Sunday announced the start of a new military operation to retake all territory held by Iran-backed Houthi fighters. [1] "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," Rashad al-Alimi said in a statement. [1] Alimi called on "the armed forces, security forces and all military formations to begin carrying out their assigned missions, in accordance with the approved plans, until the country is liberated from the grip of the Houthi terrorist militia". [1] The announcement marks the latest major escalation in the war against the Houthis following a rapid offensive by the Iran-backed group last month that saw them seize large swaths of the Red Sea coastline. [1]

Houthi Advance on Taiz

Earlier Sunday, several security sources also told AFP that the group had effectively encircled Taiz after cutting the main supply route to the government-held city. [1] The Houthi advance follows days of heavy fighting in and around the city of Taiz between the group and government forces. [1] "We were informed that the Houthis had taken control of the al-Safiya area, where they cut the main road and took control of the police station," a police source in the area told AFP. [1] Three sources with the Yemeni military also confirmed Houthi control over the area and supply route, with the group effectively encircling Taiz city. [1] The military sources added that the Houthis had also halted traffic on the main road linking Taiz to Aden, with fighting in the area ongoing. [1] The city itself remains under the control of government forces but has long been besieged from the north, east and west by Houthi fighters and remains one of the main fronts in Yemen's civil war. [1] "They've achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven't fully taken control of it," Farea Al-Muslimi, research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP. [1] In Yemen, the Houthis have reportedly cut the vital Aden-Taiz road, operationally encircling the city, according to sources speaking with AFP. [2]

Yemeni army reports 260 Houthis killed in 97 operations on southern fronts. — Source: anadolu

Mutual Airstrikes and Claims

Elsewhere in Yemen, the Houthi's Al-Masirah TV channel reported Saudi strikes in the northern governorates of al-Jawf and Saada, saying at least two people had been wounded. [1] The strikes come a day after Yemen's government said its forces hit Houthi targets around the country, including in the capital Sanaa, the northwestern governorate of Saada and the group's positions near Taiz in the southwest. [1] The Yemeni government's air capabilities however remain limited. [1] Since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the government, it has primarily been Riyadh's forces that have carried out airstrikes against the Houthis. [1] Experts believe the recent operations have most likely been conducted by Saudi warplanes rather than the Yemeni air force. [1] A large plume of smoke and fire was seen rising in the vicinity of an Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday, a witness told Reuters. [4] Later on Saturday, the Houthis claimed the attack and said they targeted the Aramco facility with ballistic missiles and drones. [4] The fire comes amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who have stepped up attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure. [4] Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarie claimed earlier that 94 airstrikes were carried out in Yemen on October 1. [4] The attacks were allegedly carried out using fighter jets and missiles and targeted civilian sites in the provinces of Sana'a, Saada, Taiz, Hajjah, Amran, and Al Bayda. [4]

Yemeni Army Operational Claims

260 Houthis killed in 97 operations on southern fronts: Yemeni army. [3] Military says 44 vehicles, supply assets destroyed, damaged in attacks targeting Houthi reinforcements. [3] Yemeni army says 700 Houthi fighters killed in 257 operations across country. [5] Military spokesman reports destruction of 170 combat vehicles and assets. [5]

Yemeni presidential council leader Rashad al-Alimi announces counter-offensive against Iran-backed Houthis. — Source: jerusalempost

Background and Recent Escalation

Following several years of relative calm, Yemen's war reignited in July against the backdrop of the widening Middle East war. [1] The country is one of the poorest in the world and remains gripped by a vast humanitarian crisis. [1] Fighting intensified in September as the Houthis launched a lightning offensive that saw them seize Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping lane. [1] The Houthis have in parallel launched a blockade on Saudi energy exports, already squeezed by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. [1] Yemen's war erupted in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa from the Saudi-backed government, before going on to take control of swaths of the country's north. [1] Riyadh intervened in the war the following year as the head of the international coalition. [1]

Humanitarian Context

The country is one of the poorest in the world and remains gripped by a vast humanitarian crisis. [1] Fighting intensified in September as the Houthis launched a lightning offensive that saw them seize Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping lane. [1]

What to watch next: Yemen's government said its forces hit Houthi targets around the country, including in the capital Sanaa, the northwestern governorate of Saada and the group's positions near Taiz in the southwest, while the Houthis claimed a ballistic missile and drone attack on an Aramco facility near Riyadh that caused a large fire.