The Yemeni government has announced a full-scale counteroffensive against the Houthi armed group, vowing to recapture all lost territory.

October 5 — The Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government announced a large-scale military operation against the Houthis, with the goal of recapturing all areas controlled by the Houthis. After the Houthis rapidly moved south in September and seized the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and a large stretch of the Red Sea coast, Yemen's civil war has re-entered a high-intensity phase, with Red Sea shipping and Saudi energy facilities simultaneously becoming focal points of the conflict.

Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said in a televised speech on Sunday that government forces will continue operations until the country is freed from Houthi control. The military subsequently demanded that the Houthis lay down their weapons.

Alimi said the government made the decision to counterattack after all opportunities to de-escalate the conflict failed, thanked Saudi Arabia for its support, and called on regional allies and international partners to help the government forces and state institutions.