Yemen's armed forces declare offensive in Sanaa
The move follows coalition air support and recent government gains near Dhubab and Mokha on Yemen's coast
Published
Map: The Red Sea, marking Sanaa, Mokha
Yemen's armed forces say they have begun a strategic offensive in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital.
The Saudi-led coalition recently agreed to give air support to Yemeni government forces, a move that followed government gains near Dhubab and a string of intercepted Houthi strikes on Saudi territory. On Thursday, the coalition intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile and drones over Khamis Mushait; debris from one intercepted missile fell on residential areas, damaging buildings and vehicles.
A tanker reported multiple explosions off Yemen's coast near Al Mukha on Sunday, sighted 60 nautical miles south of the port in waters the Houthis have held since early September.
Until now, the fighting has been defined by skirmishes and intercepts around the coastal chokepoints of Dhubab and Mokha, both of which recently changed hands with coalition air support helping government forces claw back ground near the strait. A declared push into Sanaa itself marks an escalation beyond those coastal clashes and raises the prospect of renewed Saudi and Iranian involvement. The outcome will shape whether the Houthis' hold on Bab el-Mandeb, and the shipping and energy risk premium tied to it, comes under direct pressure for the first time since their territorial gains began.