Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani survived a missile strike that killed at least five people near Aden’s al-Maashiq presidential palace on Thursday. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it targeted an operational headquarters amid ongoing fighting that has severed key supply routes and forced fuel prices to triple.
Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani was present at the al-Maashiq presidential palace in Aden on Thursday when a Houthi missile strike occurred nearby, killing at least five people. al-Zindani was unharmed in the assault, which reported as part of a campaign against Saudi-backed fighters and equipment supporting the internationally recognised government.
How are Houthi advances affecting government supply lines?
Frequent Houthi missile attacks and territorial gains around the southwestern city of Taiz have severed key supply routes and threatened roads, ports, and airports relied upon by government forces. Early September saw pro-government forces in western Taiz governorate lose Mocha—a vital supply hub and Red Sea port—to a swift Houthi push down the coastline. While a subsequent government counter-offensive reclaimed some southern Red Sea territory, Mocha remains under Houthi control.
The logistical disruptions have effectively besieged Taiz after Houthi forces cut the main highway connecting the city to Aden, the seat of the internationally recognised government. Alternative mountain routes have also faced disruption, causing fuel shortages and sending petrol prices soaring to triple their previous cost last week.
Despite these setbacks, military officials insist the supply lines remain functional through alternative channels. Colonel Wadah al-Dubaish, spokesperson for the government-aligned Joint Forces on Yemen’s West Coast, told Al Jazeera that Houthi advances might cause shipping delays or elevate logistical expenses, yet they cannot completely stop the transit of goods. “Air, land and sea routes are still available, allowing supplies to continue reaching the front lines,” al-Dubaish said, asserting that the government’s Dawn of Yemen operation to recapture territory, including the capital Sanaa, will continue.
What is the government’s strategy to maintain military logistics?
Faisal al-Majidi, Yemen’s deputy minister of justice, told Al Jazeera that this approach divides supply networks into semi-autonomous sectors supported by regional hubs in Shabwa, Marib, Houthi-free areas in Taiz, the Red Sea coast, and southern governorates.
As part of this strategy, pro-government units are fighting to secure high ground overlooking major transportation corridors. Fierce battles continue in the strategic mountainous district of al-Waziiya in Taiz governorate, which overlooks the Red Sea coast and could serve as a staging ground to lift the siege on Taiz city.
How is Saudi Arabia supporting the government offensive?
Saudi Arabia has intensified its support for the Yemeni government and allied forces since the launch of the Dawn of Yemen offensive, acknowledging airstrikes against Houthi forces in the country for the first time since a 2022 truce. Riyadh originally intervened in the conflict in 2015 in an effort to restore the Yemeni government to Sanaa, which the Houthis seized in 2014.
al-Dubaish described Saudi support as a decisive element in the conflict, noting that confronting Houthi forces equipped with Iranian-supplied ballistic and cruise missiles would otherwise present an immense challenge. al-Majidi characterized the Saudi air campaign as a “strategic balancer” that provides direct ground cover, neutralizes reinforcements, and targets missile and drone launch sites to limit their destructive impact. The Saudi-led coalition reported destroying hundreds of high-value targets since early October.
Can fragmented anti-Houthi forces achieve military coordination?
Unifying an anti-Houthi side that remains divided with disjointed command structures remains a significant challenge for the government. Poor coordination among military units contributed to the loss of the Red Sea coast in September, when forces appeared unable to respond quickly to the Houthi advance.
Adnan al-Jabarni, a Yemeni researcher specializing in military affairs, told Al Jazeera that friction among pro-government forces is diminishing as they test their coordination under the SMC. While their command structures and sources of funding have historically differed, al-Jabarni argued that Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure and supply lines are likely to intensify the pace of anti-Houthi operations rather than slowing them down.
