Yemen’s governing council chief calls for mobilisation against Houthis

Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, has called for a general mobilisation against the Houthi movement. In a televised address, al-Alimi urged Yemenis to rally around the country’s armed and security forces. He said the mobilisation aimed to restore state institutions and extend government sovereignty across the national territory, including the capital, Sanaa.

Al-Alimi also promised an upcoming amnesty for people who defect from the Houthis to government forces. Addressing residents of Houthi-controlled areas, he urged them not to send their children to fight and said the state regarded them as citizens rather than parties to the conflict. The appeal follows a major advance by the Houthis, who have taken control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to DW.

The development has raised concern about shipping through the chokepoint. The Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government have fought for more than a decade. A truce in 2022 largely froze the conflict, but fighting has intensified amid the wider confrontation involving Iran.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have increased missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and declared a maritime blockade aimed at disrupting Saudi oil exports. They accuse the kingdom of besieging areas under their control. The Houthis attacked Riyadh during the weekend, marking a significant escalation, according to the report.

The supplied material does not provide details of the mobilisation’s size, immediate military operations or a response from Houthi authorities.