Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi said on Thursday that the ‘Dawn of Yemen’ operation would continue according to its declared objectives until state institutions were restored and their authority extended across all Yemeni territory, reaching Sana’a. Military briefings he received said government forces, supported by the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, had carried out more than 17,000 air and ground strikes since the operation began.
According to the briefings, the strikes targeted Houthi group positions, gatherings and military capabilities on several fronts. Al-Alimi praised the performance of government forces in all their formations and the popular resistance, and commended Saudi Arabia’s support and the Coalition’s military role in supporting operations against the Houthis.
Al-Alimi followed developments in military operations on various fronts through calls with Defence Minister Taher Al-Aqeeli, Chief of the General Staff and Joint Operations Commander Sagheer bin Aziz, Fourth Military Region Commander Hamdi Shukri, and Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan and Lahj Governor Murad Al-Halimi.
Al-Maashiq Palace attack and its security repercussions
Separately, the Presidential Leadership Council chairman contacted council members Abdulrahman Al-Mahrami and Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, and Prime Minister Shaea Al-Zindani, to check on their safety and that of government members following a missile and drone attack targeting Al-Maashiq Presidential Palace in the interim capital Aden. Al-Alimi heard from the three officials an initial assessment of the attack’s effects and the measures taken to address its repercussions.
He also instructed the relevant authorities to care for the families of those killed and injured, complete investigations into the attack, and strengthen the security measures needed to protect government facilities and their employees. Al-Alimi said targeting the headquarters of the presidency and government was an extension of Houthi attacks on airports, oil facilities and civilian objects in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
He stressed that the state would continue to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities and that protecting sovereign institutions and citizens was a non-negotiable responsibility. He also instructed military and security leaders to take the necessary measures to protect state institutions, confront threats and respond to their sources in accordance with the law, while ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian facilities.
Displacement and the needs of affected families
On the humanitarian front, Al-Alimi received reports from the governors of Taiz and Lahj covering waves of displacement, the needs of affected families, and measures taken to secure essential services and supply routes. The reports also addressed efforts to strengthen coordination between local authorities and military and security leaders to protect civilians.
The Presidential Leadership Council chairman also referred to what he described as violations committed by the Houthi group in areas it had recently entered in Taiz governorate. He said the practices included forced recruitment and mobilisation, as well as imposing ideological indoctrination programmes on educational and community institutions, warning of their repercussions for residents and the social fabric.
Reaffirming the continuation of the military operation
Al-Alimi again affirmed that the military operation would continue until the coup was ended and state institutions restored, reaching Sana’a.
He said Houthi attacks on government institutions and civilians reinforced the need to place weapons and armed force exclusively under state institutions.
