Urdu Report Desk
Saudi Arabia is preparing a possible major military offensive against Houthi forces in Yemen, with more than 100,000 Yemeni troops potentially being mobilized for the operation, according to Reuters.
The operation could begin in the coming weeks and would involve Yemeni forces conducting ground operations under Saudi oversight, backed by Saudi airstrikes.
Possible Military Options
According to officials familiar with the preparations, Saudi Arabia is considering two possible options.
The first is a limited operation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to secure the strategic Red Sea shipping route. The second is a broader offensive involving coordinated attacks on multiple fronts in the Yemeni provinces of Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.
More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized depending on the scale of the operation, officials told Reuters. The precise timing remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from within a week to after the US midterm elections in early November.
US and Allied Support
The United States is already providing intelligence to support Saudi operations in Yemen, while regional and European countries are providing mainly defensive military assistance to Saudi Arabia.
According to people familiar with the preparations, Saudi allies are not expected to take part directly in combat operations.
Pakistan and Turkey have been providing defensive military support and equipment to Saudi Arabia, according to the reported account, but they are not expected to take a direct combat role in Yemen.
Strategic Importance of Bab el-Mandeb
A key objective of the planned operation is to reverse recent Houthi gains, including their advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seizure of control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to officials cited by Reuters.
The Bab el-Mandeb is a major maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is an important shipping route between the Mediterranean and Asia.
