Yemen.. Alimi announces the start of military operations to assert sovereignty over the entire country

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Mohammed Alimi announced on Sunday the commencement of military operations to reclaim the remaining territories of the country and to establish the authority of the state and its institutions over the entire national territory, confirming the transition from a phase of readiness and preparation to a phase of liberation after exhausting all opportunities for calm.

Alimi stated in a message to the Yemeni people: "In light of our constitutional responsibility to protect the sovereignty of the republic and its citizens, and based on the decisions of the National Defense Council, and after completing the necessary procedures and measures, I announce today the start of military operations to reclaim the remaining territories of the republic and to establish the authority of the state and its institutions over the entire national territory."

He added that he has directed the armed forces, security, and all military formations to "begin implementing their assigned tasks according to the approved plans, until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist Houthi militia."

The Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council confirmed that the decision to commence operations came after the state granted peace all the time and opportunities it deserved, while the militias responded to the efforts for calm with further mobilization and escalation, expanding their attacks and threats against civilians, national facilities, neighboring countries, and international shipping routes.

He stated that "the state's position today is to bear its national responsibility in confronting the Houthi militias after exhausting all opportunities for calm, the continued presence of weapons outside the authority of the state, and the threat to the security of citizens and the sovereignty of the country, the region, and international shipping lanes."

Al-Alimi emphasized that "the battle is not a war against the citizens in Sana'a, Saada, Al-Hudaydah, Amran, Dhamar, Ibb, or any other governorate, nor is it a war against a sect or tribe."

Clashes continue in the south of Taiz, and airstrikes in Yemen are expanding to include Sana'a, Saada, Marib, and Amran, targeting the Nakhm and Attan mountains in the capital.

He continued: "It is a war of the state for its citizens, to restore its institutions, correct past mistakes, and not to confiscate the will of its people or their political future by force of arms."

Al-Alimi addressed the citizens in areas controlled by the Houthis, saying: "You are not the target of these operations; rather, your security, rights, and dignity are among the most important reasons for them."

Al-Alimi urged Yemenis in these areas to "stay away from military sites and militia supply routes, and to protect their children from being dragged into battles."

Al-Alimi renewed the state's commitment to safe return and the announced amnesty, affirming that "the door will remain open for anyone who lays down their arms and stops fighting alongside the militias and returns to their families and homeland according to the announced procedures."

The President of the Leadership Council directed the armed forces, security, and all military formations and popular resistance to "strictly adhere to the law and protect civilians, their honor, and property," emphasizing that the mission is "not just to regain land, but to restore the state to it."

He addressed the armed forces: "There is no vendetta, no revenge, no assault on the innocent, and no infringement on citizens' property... Every Yemeni home is a trust, and every citizen is a responsibility, and every city you restore must feel from the first moment that it has returned to the state, free from oppression, tyranny, and racism."

In parallel with military operations, Al-Alimi announced the government's directive to prepare a simultaneous work program that ensures state institutions begin to exercise their responsibilities in every city, district, and governorate that is restored, step by step.

He clarified that the priorities "will include, with the support of brothers and friends, the resumption of salaries for state employees and addressing their overdue entitlements retroactively, launching an urgent recovery and reconstruction program, repairing damaged roads, electricity, water, and facilities, and creating conditions for the return of displaced persons and the resumption of economic activity."

The Yemeni armed forces announced their control over the Samah Fortress in Taiz, following intense clashes with the "Houthi" group, stating that they carried out 257 targeting operations against the Houthis.

He emphasized that "the recovery of land will not be the end of the mission, and the success of the battle will not be measured by the number of cities recovered, but by the number of citizens who return to safety, the families that return to their homes, and the measures that prevent a return to practices of killing, oppression, and the confiscation of the people's will."

He also renewed the full commitment to what will result from the southern-southern dialogue sponsored by the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ensuring a fair and comprehensive solution to the southern issue, affirming loyalty to the immense sacrifices made by the southern governorates and their sons during the years of war.

The statement indicated that Alimi sent a "message of appreciation and gratitude" to Saudi Arabia, praising its positions alongside Yemen in the darkest circumstances, its role in the resilience of state institutions, and its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people, in addition to hosting millions of Yemenis from various parts of the country.

He stated that "the Yemeni people will remember these positions in their national memory forever, just as they have remembered throughout their history everyone who stood by them in times of hardship," affirming that the Kingdom "will remain a genuine partner in destiny, security, stability, and peace in Yemen and the region."

The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council called on "all brothers, friends, and partners in the international community to stand by Yemen, its armed forces, and its national institutions to end the threat, support humanitarian, economic, and relief efforts, and recovery and reconstruction programs in areas that return to the authority of the state."

Alimi affirmed that "the state, with sincere support from the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, is fulfilling its responsibility to protect its people, restore its institutions, and safeguard maritime passages," stressing that "the positions of brothers and friends, at such turning points, do not only shape the fate of the present but remain long in the memory of nations."

He added that "the enmities are known, but what nations do not forget is who stood by them when they needed it, and who chose silence when their position was necessary."

The President of the Leadership Council stated that Yemenis have long awaited this decisive day, which marks the beginning of a pivotal phase "where the state regains its land and institutions, citizens regain their rights, and weapons return to their natural place under the authority of law."

He announced that all military, security, and civilian state institutions will be, as of this moment, in a state of full alert until the mission is accomplished and victory is achieved.