Houthis begin mobilization for offensive in southern Yemen
According to UAE-based media outlet Al-Ain, the Houthis could be preparing an offensive now that the STC has gained ground in recent weeks.
The Iran-backed Houthis may be preparing for an offensive against the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen.
The STC is generally considered to be backed by the United Arab Emirates and controls part of southern Yemen. The Houthis control Yemen’s mountainous region.
Now that the STC has gained ground in recent weeks, the Houthis may be planning a counterattack, according to the UAE-based Al-Ain News news site.
“Al-Ain News has learned from Yemeni security and military sources that Houthi militias have deployed unprecedented military reinforcements to internal fronts in the south of the country,” the report said. “The sources explained that the mobilization of the Houthi militia is part of preparations for a major military offensive towards southern Yemen in response to southern forces cutting the militia’s supply lines in Al-Mahra governorate.”
Yemen appears to be entering a new phase of conflict.
Protesters, mainly supporters of the Houthis, gather to celebrate the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on the day it took effect, in Sanaa, Yemen, October 10, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)
“The latest developments come as the Southern Transitional Council (STC) intensified and consolidated its campaign in southern and eastern Yemen and launched a new military operation in Abyan province this week,” Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported.
“Yemen was unified in 1990, but political conflicts in the south subsequently fueled renewed calls for secession, particularly after the outbreak of the current civil war in 2014,” the report said. “It is currently under the effective control of several administrations, including the Houthis, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and the STC. »
“The STC currently controls around 52% of Yemen’s territory,” Anadolu Agency reported. “The Houthis hold about 33%, while about 10% remains under the control of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and its allied forces. The remaining 5% is controlled by forces loyal to Tareq Saleh, nephew of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.”
Houthis reportedly mobilize ground forces and deploy missile platforms
Al-Ain News said sources told it that “Houthi militias mobilized their groups on the Al-Dhali’, Lahj and Shabwa fronts, coinciding with the digging of trench networks, reinforcement of military sites and deployment of missile and drone platforms.”
The Houthis are moving artillery from the Taiz front to the south, the report said, adding that the artillery crosses mountain roads to “Al-Ahkum heights in the same governorate.” [as well as] on the outskirts of the Tur Al-Bahah front, in the north of the southern governorate of Lahj.
The Houthis are also fielding units on other fronts “adjacent to Al-Musaymir district, which is also part of Lahj governorate, starting with Mawiyah district, located in the east of Taiz governorate,” Al-Ain News reported.
A number of units were introduced into the area, and some were moving through various localities in Yemen, according to the report.
These types of reports are usually based on intelligence sources, but why now?
“The Houthis’ movements toward southern Yemen come at a sensitive time, coinciding with the repositioning of southern forces in eastern Yemen, which the Houthis saw as a threat to their interests, particularly with the loss of vital smuggling routes,” Al-Ain News reported.
The aim is apparently to put pressure on the STC after its recent successes in Mahra province. As the STC has expanded its control, it has cut off smuggling routes used by the Houthis.
The UAE-backed STC has enjoyed success over the past month, unlike Saudi-backed forces. Although Riyadh and Abu Dhabi share interests in the region, they do not always see eye to eye on Yemen, Sudan or other issues, Al-Ain News reported.
“These developments on the ground come after Transitional Council forces launched Operation ‘Decisive’ to pursue Al-Qaeda remnants in Abyan and thwart the plans of the Houthi militias and the Muslim Brotherhood in the coastal province,” the report said.
The Houthis may feel less pressure these days due to the ceasefire in Gaza. They no longer attack Israel and can concentrate on fighting the STC.
