Yemeni government forces mount offensive to recapture Houthi-held capital

Government-backed Yemeni forces have launched a counteroffensive aimed at retaking the capital Sanaa from Houthi control, marking a significant escalation in the country's protracted conflict. The push comes as military operations intensify across central regions, with particular focus on al-Bayda and al-Jawf provinces where clashes between the rival forces have escalated sharply in recent days.

The offensive represents a bid by the internationally recognized Yemeni government to reassert control over the country's most populous urban center, which has remained under Houthi administration since 2015. Recapturing Sanaa would constitute a strategic breakthrough for government forces, though military analysts note the Houthis maintain significant defensive capabilities in the heavily populated city.

The fighting in the provinces of al-Bayda and al-Jawf has created a fluid frontline in central Yemen, with both sides reporting military gains. The renewed hostilities underscore the persistent fragmentation of Yemen's conflict, which has drawn in regional and international powers and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Government forces have not specified a timeline for their operations or disclosed detailed assessments of their current military positioning. The Houthis have given no indication they intend to relinquish control of the capital, where they maintain entrenched administrative and security structures.