Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces are preparing ground and air offensives against Yemen's Houthi rebels and plan to launch them within weeks, Reuters reported on the 2nd (local time).

Reuters explained that it confirmed these plans through six regional and Western sources, adding that Yemeni government forces under Saudi command will lead the ground operations, supported by airstrikes from the Saudi military.

Depending on the scale of the operation, more than 100,000 Yemeni government troops and pro-government militia members could be mobilized.

Sources explained that the core objective of the preparation offensive is to reverse the rapid territorial gains made by the Houthi rebels last month when they advanced along the coast and seized the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Saudi Arabia is considering two main attack options, Reuters reported.

They are a limited attack focusing on the area around Bab el-Mandeb, and a multi-front offensive involving simultaneous attacks in provinces such as Al Bayda, Marib, Taiz, and Al Jawf.

Michael Ratney, former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told Reuters that he expects the offensive to focus on limited areas.

He noted that the scale of this operation is expected to be smaller than the one Saudi Arabia launched in 2015 with the goal of expelling the Houthis.

"Saudi Arabia would love to completely defeat the Houthis, but returning to the status quo before the Houthis seized the Bab el-Mandeb coastal area is also necessary for Saudi Arabia," he projected. "Ideally speaking, it will be a fairly limited operation to recapture the coastal area and restore normal maritime traffic."

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is the southern exit of the Red Sea and a vital shipping lane connecting the Mediterranean and Asia. Its importance has grown as an alternative route since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed due to the Iran war.

The exact timing for when Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces will launch the major offensive against the Houthis remains unclear.

The attack start dates projected by the six sources varied widely, ranging from as early as within a week from now to as late as after the November US midterm elections.

Persian Gulf regional officials stated that one of Saudi Arabia's core concerns in launching a new offensive in Yemen is how to protect its oil facilities and other infrastructure from Houthi drone and missile attacks.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly requested assistance from several allies to support its defense systems.

According to Reuters, the US is already providing intelligence to support Saudi Arabia's airstrike operations in Yemen.

Türkiye and Pakistan, which signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia last month, have provided military equipment used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

Combat and airstrikes between Saudi and Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels have already been intensifying even before the planned full-scale offensive.

According to AFP on this day, the Houthi rebel side stated that at least 55 anti-government combatants were killed, while the Yemeni government side reported that 26 soldiers died.

The Houthis claimed that over the past 24 hours, the Saudi military launched 94 airstrikes and missile attacks on areas under their control.

Saudi authorities recently reported intercepting and destroying three ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis, and that one person was injured and buildings were damaged by debris from the intercepted missiles.

They also stated that a projectile hit a school in Najran, causing material damage.

Houthi rebels seized the Yemeni capital Sana'a in 2014, and the Saudi-led coalition launched military intervention in 2015 under the pretext of supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Although a truce was brokered by the UN in 2022, Yemen's previously dormant civil war has recently flared up again, heightening concerns over civilian casualties and disruptions to maritime transport.

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