Yemen offensive faces test as government claims coastal gains
Government-aligned forces say they have retaken Dhubab and Mocha, while divisions and fighting across several fronts could constrain the campaign.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government says it has launched a major offensive against Houthi-held territory, with forces claiming to have retaken Dhubab and the port city of Mocha and to be advancing north along the Red Sea coast.
The claims followed an announcement by Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi. The government has also declared an aim to advance towards Houthi-held Sanaa and reverse recent Houthi gains around Taiz. The stated objective does not establish that government forces are close to the capital.
The Houthis have held Sanaa since 2014 and retain substantial territory in northern and western Yemen. The government, backed by Saudi Arabia, faces divisions among anti-Houthi forces, while its forces are spread across several fronts.
Al Jazeera reported that government security forces were conducting sweeps and making arrests in parts of Taiz governorate, citing local sources. The reported territorial gains, advances and arrests have not been independently verified in the supplied account.
Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the balance of power had not clearly shifted and that the scale and durability of the advances remained uncertain. One assessed that a negotiated political settlement was more plausible over time than the military defeat of either side.
