Yemeni govt forces’ battle against Houthis could take years, analyst says

The ⁠military operation by the internationally recognised government of Yemen to retake ⁠⁠territory held by ⁠⁠the Houthis will be long and difficult, a defence analyst says.

“All signs are pointing towards a long battle,” said Baraa Shiban, associate fellow in international security at the Royal United Services Institute.

“We might be witnessing yet another round of years of conflict inside Yemen. And, unfortunately, it’s the Yemeni public who are going to bear the brunt of this escalation,” he told Al Jazeera from Istanbul.

While some suggest the operation will wrap up quickly, Shiban said the reality is otherwise. “I don’t think it’s going to be an easy and quick operation. We might be looking into years.”

The already long-running conflict also points towards a failure of the international community, which despite a ceasefire in 2022 has been unable to achieve any breakthrough towards a lasting peace, he added.

“The UN envoy to Yemen hasn’t been able to meet the Houthis for more than two years now, so it’s a failure on all levels – of course, internally but also for the mediators and international community.”

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