The Yemeni Armed Forces Announce the Start of the 'Liberation Battle' to Restore State Institutions

The Yemeni armed forces announced on Sunday the commencement of what they termed the "Liberation Battle" to complete the restoration of state institutions and areas under the control of the Houthis, based on the directives of the President of the Presidential Leadership Council and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Rashad Al-Alimi.

The official spokesperson for the armed forces, Colonel Majid Abdullah Al-Nazili, stated in a statement that the battle aims to "restore all state territories and establish complete national sovereignty, and to end all manifestations of the coup" in the areas controlled by the Houthis.

He added that the start of operations comes "from the constitutional and moral responsibility" of the military institution to protect the country, noting that the armed forces seek to complete the restoration of state institutions and end what he described as the "coup", and alleviate the suffering of Yemenis.

He considered that the military operations represent a step towards returning Yemen to its "Arab embrace and strategic depth", emphasizing at the same time the commitment of the armed forces to protect civilians and spare them the harms of military operations in various regions and governorates.

The Yemeni army called on fighters within the Houthi ranks to lay down their arms, leave the combat positions, and return to their homes, stating that this step aims to "save their blood".

He mentioned that "the homeland accommodates all its sons returning to the path of righteousness," in a call that comes concurrently with the announcement of the start of operations aimed at regaining areas still under the control of the group.

The armed forces confirmed that they will continue their operations in implementation of the directives of Al-Alimi, indicating that their forces are advancing towards the positions of the Houthis, without providing details regarding the axes of operations or the areas that have witnessed field progress.

The military spokesman called on Yemenis to rally around the armed forces and support them during the operations, which he described as taking place in "historic and pivotal moments" for the country.

The military spokesman praised the positions of the coalition countries supporting legitimacy in Yemen, considering them to serve the "interests of the country and the Yemeni people," without specifying the nature of the support provided by the coalition for the announced operations.

The announcement of the armed forces sets a broad goal for the new military phase, which is to regain all lands and institutions outside the control of the government, while the statement confirmed that the operations will be accompanied by a commitment to protect the lives of civilians.

The statement did not provide details about the size of the forces participating in the operations or their timeline, nor did it specify the military axes that the "Liberation Battle" will focus on.