Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council officially announces military operations to liberate the country from Houthi militia

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced yesterday the commencement of military operations to reclaim the remaining territories of the republic and reassert state authority across the entire national territory, after diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions with the Houthi terrorist militia had been exhausted.

He praised the positions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen, highlighting its role in sustaining state institutions, alleviating the suffering of the people, and hosting millions of Yemeni refugees. He affirmed that Saudi Arabia would remain a genuine partner in Yemen’s destiny, security, stability, and peace, as well as in the broader region.

Expressing “great gratitude to the loyal brothers in Saudi Arabia, both leadership and people,” al-Alimi noted that Saudi Arabia stood by Yemen during its darkest hours and that its “comprehensive support contributed to the resilience of state institutions.”

In a message addressed to the Yemeni people, al-Alimi stated that he had issued directives to the armed forces, security agencies, and all military formations to begin executing their missions in accordance with approved plans to liberate the country from the Houthi terrorist militias.

He clarified that the decision to launch the operations came after granting peace every opportunity and time it deserved, while the Houthi militias continued to mobilize, escalate tensions, and expand their attacks and threats against civilians, national facilities, neighboring countries, and international waterways.

He emphasized that “the battle is not a war against the citizens of Sana’a, Sa’ada, or any other province forcibly controlled by the Houthi militia, nor does it target a specific sect or tribe; rather, it is a struggle to restore state institutions and prevent the usurpation of the Yemeni people’s will by force of arms.”

Al-Alimi called on Yemeni citizens in areas under militia control to stay away from military sites, gatherings, and supply routes, and to protect their children from being drawn into the fighting.

He renewed the state’s commitment to the Safe Return Initiative and the announced amnesty for those misled into joining the Houthi militia, affirming that the door remains open for anyone who lays down their arms, ceases fighting with the militias, and returns to their families and homeland in accordance with announced procedures.

Al-Alimi directed the armed forces, security agencies, all military formations, and the popular resistance to adhere to the law, protect civilians and property during operations, and noted that the mission of the forces extends beyond reclaiming territory to include restoring state institutions to those areas.

Concurrently with the military operations, he announced that the government had been directed to prepare a work plan to begin restoring state institutions’ responsibilities in each city, directorate, and province as they are reclaimed, one by one. This includes resuming salary payments for state employees in Houthi-controlled areas, addressing their outstanding dues, and launching an urgent recovery and reconstruction program to repair roads, electricity, water, and damaged facilities, while creating conditions for the return of displaced persons and the resumption of economic activity.

He stressed that the success of the battle would not be measured by the number of cities reclaimed, but by the return of security to citizens, the return of families to their homes, and the prevention of repeated practices of killing, oppression, and the usurpation of the people’s will.

He called on brothers, friends, and partners in the international community to support Yemen, its armed forces, national institutions, humanitarian and economic efforts, and recovery and reconstruction programs in areas returning to state authority.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen announced that the Kingdom had provided a new tranche of support to the Yemeni budget exceeding 224 million Saudi riyals, equivalent to approximately $59.7 million, as reported by Al Arabiya channel.

In a post on its official account on the X platform, the program stated, “Under the directives of the leadership, and as a continuation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for the brotherly Yemeni people, the Kingdom, through the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, has provided a new tranche of support to the Yemeni budget exceeding 224 million riyals.”