The Yemeni Civil War was a civil war in Yemen that was fought between the Iranian-backed Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi from 2014 to 2022. Following the Houthi takeover of Sana'a and their creation of a Revolutionary Committee, President Hadi and his government were forced to resign in January 2015. Hadi escaped to Aden, where he denounced the Houthi-led Committee as illegitimate and created a new government. At the same time, AQAP took control of large swaths of territory in central Yemen. The conflict escalated when Saudi Arabia and a coalition of other Arab states attacked the Houthis, intervening to assist the Hadi government. The Saudi bombing campaign and naval blockade, combined with the ongoing civil war, caused a major humanitarian crisis in the country. After 2017, Southern Transitional Council, advocating for the independence of South Yemen, split from Hadi's faction. Meanwhile, Tareq Saleh, nephew of former pro-Houthi President Ali Abdullah Saleh, joined the Hadi government after his father's death at the hands of the Houthis in December 2017.
Background[]
- Main article: Yemeni Crisis
Following the overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh during the Arab Spring events of 2011–12, Yemen experienced instability as the central government's control weakened and rebel groups began to take control of large swathes of the country. In September 2014, Houthi militants from northeastern Yemen entered Sana'a and joined local protestors in demanding governmental reform. The government of President Hadi refused to give in to the Houthis' demands, and Hadi's cabinet resigned en masse in early 2015. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi proclaimed the creation of the Revolutionary Committee, which acted as the government of Yemen. Former president Saleh joined the Houthis, bringing over loyalist elements of the Yemeni Army to their side. However, the Houthi regime remained largely unrecognized by the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Hadi formed a rival government in the city of Aden after escaping from house arrest in Sana'a. Aden was declared the provisional capital of the country.
Military operations[]
Early fighting[]
Yemeni troops under General Abdul-Hafez al-Saqqaf clashed with Hadi loyalists over control of Aden and were routed on 19 March 2015. Yemeni Air Force planes flown by pro-Houthi pilots bombed the city in retaliation. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, mobilized his militias and stated that it was imperative to defeat Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which he considered Hadi to be a member of. Meanwhile, Hadi claimed in a speech that he was the country's true president on 21 March.
The Revolutionary Council appointed General Hussein Khairan as the defense minister of Yemen on 31 March 2015 and ordered him to plan an offensive against pro-Hadi elements.
Houthis and Saleh-loyal army troops entered Taiz, the third-largest city in Yemen, on March 22. They seized key points in the city without meeting much resistance, other than a few protestors. On March 23, they advanced towards the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a strategically-important waterway through which much of the world's maritime trade passes. They captured the port of Mocha and took control of a small coastal base, when the 17th Armored Division of the Yemeni Army surrendered to them.
Southern front[]
Pro-Hadi Yemeni army troops in the Marib province.
On March 24, Houthi and pro-Saleh forces entered and captured the southern city of Dhale in the thick of heavy fighting. After a week of fierce close quarters combat with Hadi loyalist Yemeni Army units, the Houthis entered the city center. Throughout early April, Dhale remained contested and the two sides traded artillery fire, both sustaining heavy casualties. On April 4, the Houthis released 300 inmates from a local prison in exchange for fighting for them. They took more casualties over the next two months, however, and were pushed out of the city by Hadi government forces in May.
Heavy fighting also occurred in the Lahij Governorate on March 24. The next day, Al Ansar Air Base was taken by Houthis and Saleh loyalists, with the Hadi government defense minister, Mahmoud al-Subaihi, being taken prisoner. The Houthis also advanced onto several other small towns north of Aden. The southern offensive continued despite the Saudi airstrikes beginning on March 26.
Battle of Aden[]
- Main article: Battle of Aden
A Yemeni Army tank in Aden.
Confusion reigned outside of Aden as the pro-Hadi Yemeni Army units fragmented, assisting the rebel advance towards the provisional capital. They were fighting on five different fronts, military officials reported. Aden International Airport suspended all flights and was taken over during the some skirmishes by Saleh loyalist army troops. President Hadi escaped Aden by boat and later went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to ask for assistance.
In early April, the Houthi and pro-Saleh forces encircled Aden and began pushing into the city despite fierce resistance from the Hadi loyalists and armed residents defending themselves. The advance continued on March 29 despite Saudi bombings and the arrival of Egyptian Navy vessels offshore. On April 2, the provisional presidential palace was captured by Houthi forces.
A siege continued, but a contingent of Saudi Arabian ground forces assisted pro-government fighters, which allowed them to recapture the temporary capital of Yemen. After months of heavy fighting, the Hadi loyalists pushed the Houthis out of the city completely on July 21 in "Operation Golden Arrow." Over 90% of the Aden Governorate was under the control of the Hadi government by that time.
Afterwards, UN, Saudi, and UAE planes arrived in the refurbished International Airport to deliver much-needed aid to Yemeni civilians.
Operation Decisive Storm[]
- Main article: Operation Decisive Storm
An RSAF Eurofighter Typhoon over Yemen.
On Thursday, 26 March 2015, the Royal Saudi Air Force intervened in the conflict by bombing Sana'a International Airport and the al-Dulaimi Air Base, killing 17 people. Airstrikes continued to be launched over the next few days, with aircraft from other Arab states, including Egypt and Jordan. Saudi Arabia mainly targeted Houthi positions and declared a no-fly zone over Yemen. The Royal Saudi Navy also imposed a naval blockade on the country, positioning its ships near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with assistance from the Egyptian Navy. The Saudi vessels helped evacuated United Nations and other foreigners from Yemen.
On April 21, Saudi Arabia declared that the operation achieved its goals and that it would be switching to helping implement a political process for the cessation of hostilities. A re-evaluated casualty report stated that 10 Saudi soldiers were killed and 14 were wounded, while 405 civilians were said to have been killed. Houthi losses were unknown as of that date. These figures seemed to oppose previous casualty reports, which claimed that 361 Houthi fighters and 1,345+ civilians had been killed in the bombings.
Operation Restoring Hope[]
- Main article: Operation Restoring Hope
The Saudi-led coalition initiated Operation Restoring Hope as a combination of political, diplomatic, and military efforts to end the war, although airstrikes continued against Houthi targets. With American aid, the Emirates bombed AQAP and ISIL targets, reducing AQAP's presence in Yemen to its weakest control since 2012 after killing 2,000 militants. The Saudi coalition's continued airstrikes and their effects on Yemen's continued humanitarian crisis led the US Congress to vote to end support to the Saudi war effort in March 2019, but it was not until Joe Biden assumed the presidency that the United States ended US support for the Saudi campaign in February 2021.
Developments since 2016[]
By March 2017, 60% of Yemenis were in crisis or emergency food situations, and the country was devastated by a cholera epidemic. That same year, the Southern Transitional Council declared its formation on 11 May in response to Hadi's dismissal of Aden governor Aidarus al-Zoubaidi for his close ties to the Emirati government. In 2018, STC forces captured Aden, fragmenting pro-republican forces. Meanwhile, Saleh withdrew from his coalition with the Houthis in December 2017 and realigned towards Saudi Arabia and Hadi, only to be killed by a sniper on 4 December 2017.
On 2 April 2022, the United Nations brokered a two-month nationwide truce between the warring parties to enable fuel imports to Yemen, and the Hadi government dissolved on 7 April 2022. A Presidential Leadership Council was formed to include the STC, and the truce continued to be extended. In March 2023, Iran agreed to halt all military support to the Houthis and abide by the UN arms embargo, although Iran continued to support the Houthis against Israel in the Red Sea crisis. By 23 December 2023, the warring parties had committed to steps towards a ceasefire, effectively freezing the conflict.