Yemen truce under strain as Houthi-government clashes spark military mobilisation

Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad al-Alimi ordered government forces to maintain maximum readiness after being briefed by council member Tareq Saleh on developments along the western coast, where National Resistance forces repelled a Houthi attack, according to the Yemeni government’s official news agency.

In Taiz province, Gov. Nabil Shamsan also instructed military commanders to strengthen combat preparedness, citing Houthi reinforcements along frontline positions.

The Houthis, meanwhile, stepped up mobilisation campaigns in Sanaa, Saada and Hajjah provinces, calling for wider recruitment and military training after leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi urged supporters to prepare for what the group described as the “battle to liberate Yemen,” according to Saba.

Although Yemen has remained relatively calm since April 2022 despite sporadic clashes and stalled peace efforts, the latest fighting, military mobilisation and increasingly confrontational rhetoric mark the most serious escalation since the truce took hold.

The conflict has devastated Yemen’s economy and infrastructure, displaced millions of people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, while UN-led efforts to secure a lasting political settlement remain stalled.