Speaking from neighboring Saudi Arabia, he said the operation aims at “recovering the remaining territories” controlled by the Houthis, who made their largest land grab in recent years last month when they seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Al-Alimi called for the international community to provide support to his Saudi-backed government. In a separate statement, a Saudi military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, stressed the kingdom's right to take all necessary measures to deter the rebels.
The Houthis have launched a major offensive in recent days against government forces and their allies on the outskirts of Taiz, disrupting a major road linking the city to the port city of Aden, the seat of al-Alimi’s government. The rebels have besieged Taiz for more than a decade.
Earlier, the Houthis said airstrikes hit the capital, Sanaa, overnight, without giving details. The Yemeni military, backed by Riyadh, claimed responsibility, saying it struck “vital targets” in Sanaa as well as the northern province of Saada on the border with Saudi Arabia.
The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has revived Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire.
