Yemen’s Ansarallah made fresh territorial gains in the southwestern province of Taiz on Sunday, pressing its advance as the Saudi-backed government in Yemen announced the start of a large-scale military campaign to retake what it called the remaining Ansarallah-held areas.
A local security official, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Ansarallah fighters had entered At Turbah, a strategic center in southern Taiz province, without fighting after Saudi-led forces withdrew earlier in the day.
He added that troops and allied fighters had pulled back to mountainous positions outside At Turbah, while some retreated farther south into neighboring Lahj province following “battlefield setbacks and losses.” Ansarallah fighters subsequently moved into the city, deploying at key locations and its main entrances and exits.
Residents said Ansarallah spread along major streets and around public facilities in At Turbah, while many merchants closed their shops before the arrival. They said Ansarallah also used mosque loudspeakers to urge residents not to resist.
The capture of At Turbah marks the first time Ansarallah has taken control of the city since Yemen’s conflict erupted in late 2014, extending the group’s recent territorial gains across southwestern Yemen.
Earlier Sunday, a military official told Xinhua that Ansarallah forces had advanced through parts of Ash Shamayatayn and neighboring Al-Ma’afer districts, seizing several key positions and forcing government troops to retreat.
Ansarallah�s advances came as Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced from the Saudi capital Riyadh the start of a large-scale military campaign to retake what he described as the remaining areas under Ansarallah control.
In a televised address, al-Alimi said the government was moving “from the preparation phase to the action phase” after weeks of military mobilization.
The developments marked a rapidly shifting battlefield after years of largely frozen front lines. Since launching a major offensive in early September, Ansarallah has expanded across parts of Taiz and neighboring Lahj, seizing the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Sept. 10 and Mayyun Island, also known as Perim, a day later, while tensions have intensified in the highlands overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
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