PLC’s escalating rhetoric likely indicates its intent to launch an offensive to recapture Ansar Allah-held territories in northwestern Yemen

Events

Statements by Rashad al-Alimi, President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)

On 12 August 2026, President al-Alimi's official website published a statement titled ‘PLC President’s final message to militias”, in which al-Alimi underlined the improved strength of the state and its armed forces and the PLC’s changed approach to Ansar Allah.

He stated that the PLC’s objective was to “restore state institutions and end the coup [led by Ansar Allah]” and that the group’s conduct had “dispelled the illusions that they could become a partner for peace”.

President al-Alimi also called on the international community to “help Yemenis end the war rather than manage it indefinitely” and emphasised that “the policy of containing the militias, offering incentives, and betting on their transformation into a peace partner had failed”.

On 24 August 2026, PLC President Rashad al-Alimi further stated that PLC-aligned forces – notably the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), National Resistance Forces (NRF), and Southern Giants Brigades - had demonstrated their efficiency and readiness and would continue to deliver “decisive blows” to Ansar Allah command centres, gatherings, and members on various fronts across Yemen.

According to the PLC-aligned Saba News Agency, al-Alimi also stated that there would be no lasting truce without “restoring state institutions and ensuring their monopoly on decision on peace and war”.

Statements by Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer, PLC Vice-president

On 20 August 2026, PLC Vice-president Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer stated in an interview with the Saudi Arabia-based newspaper Okaz that the question was not whether the PLC-aligned forces would “take Sanaa”, describing this as a “foregone conclusion,” but rather how it would be restored as a state symbol of an inclusive Yemeni state.

He added that retaking Sanaa was not only about recapturing the capital but about restoring “the heart of the Yemeni state” and rebuilding state institutions.

Abdullah al-Alimi also said that the PLC is confident that it was “decisively winning” the conflict to restore the state and to end what they call as Ansar Allah’s “coup”. He further stated that maritime security required the elimination of the threat Ansar Allah posed on land.

Statements by Tariq Saleh, Commander of the PLC-aligned NRF and PLC Vice-president

On 24 August, NRF Commander and PLC Vice-president Tariq Saleh stated that securing the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab would begin with reclaiming Al-Hudaydah and Sanaa governorates from Ansar Allah.

Saleh said the “real battle has not begun” and called for “national solidarity and cohesion” through the recapture of Sanaa governorate and the subsequent “purification” of Saada governorate (birthplace and the origin of the Ansar Allah movement).

Statements by Major General Samir al-Sabri, PLC Deputy Minister of Defence

According to multiple open-source reports on 23 August, including Yemen Monitor, Okaz, and Ain Aden news, PLC Deputy Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. Samir al-Sabri stated that PLC-aligned forces were prepared to bring the conflict with Ansar Allah to a “decisive conclusion.”

Al-Sabri stated that while “the Houthis fired the first shot...we will write the ending by eliminating terrorism”. He continued, “we will not stop until we reach Sanaa, liberate every inch of the homeland, and return the displaced to their homes.”

He stated that forces had completed all logistical preparations and were awaiting directives from the PLC leadership to launch a large-scale military operation.

PLC-Ansar Allah activity since 14 August

Although there was a 35% increase in recorded UAV/missile/artillery strikes and ground clashes between Ansar Allah and PLC forces between 7–14 and 15-24 August (30 recorded strikes and 40 ground clashes), Janes assesses that there was no significant change in the value of targets engaged, the geographical scope of hostilities, or the methods used by Ansar Allah and PLC-aligned forces between 15–24 August.

Between 15–24 August, the PLC’s Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) and other affiliated units continued to target Ansar Allah primarily through strikes using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and artillery shelling.

PLC forces have also claimed strikes against Ansar Allah members, vehicles, gatherings, and command centres across north-western Yemen, including in Saada, Marib, al-Hudaydah, Taiz, al-Jawf, Shabwa, Dhale, and Hajjah governorates. These developments indicate sustained momentum in hostilities between both sides.

For more details on developments between 7-14 August, please refer to: Janes | Expanded military operations by Ansar Allah and PLC Forces across Yemen very likely sustain the risk of large-scale domestic conflict in the immediate-to-short-term

Significance

The latest rhetoric from senior PLC leaders – in which statements on “eliminating” Ansar Allah, “purifying” Ansar Allah-held governorates, and “capturing" the capital Sanaa are common themes – marks a departure from previous statements which emphasised negotiated settlements with Ansar Allah and were more reserved in nature. This is also the first instance of al-Alimi's government and the anti-Ansar Allah coalition, including the NRF, issuing co-ordinated and clear statements of intent to recapture territory lost since 2014.

Previous statements had admonished the group for attacks conducted on targets in PLC-controlled governorates and accused Ansar Allah of poor governance but had continued to argue for a negotiated resolution to Yemen’s political crisis.

In statements made in July, President al-Alimi had renewed “the government’s commitment to a peace process” that would address “the root causes of the war” with Ansar Allah. While stating that “the Yemeni people would remain firmly committed to restoring state institutions and extending their authority across the entire national territory”, the President put the onus on Ansar Allah to “accept these realities”.

Statements from senior PLC leaders across August 2026 indicate that the anti-Ansar Allah coalition has very likely grown more confident in its ability to prosecute an offensive against the group and to reclaim control of Sanaa governorate. Such confidence has very likely resulted from the success of the PLC’s UAV operations and its repulsion of Ansar Allah ground attacks during recent engagements.

Outlook

Immediate term (next four weeks)

• The PLC will likely escalate their attacks and undertake operations intended to recapture Ansar Allah-held territories in al-Hudaydah, Sanaa, and Saada governorates.
• Janes has low confidence in this assessment because the PLC and its armed forces do not have a history of following up statements with offensive action and have not undertaken major offensive operations to recapture territory lost in 2014. Therefore, the statements made by PLC leaders are assumed to be indicative of an intent to conduct such operations, rather than only serving to pressure Ansar Allah back to negotiations.

Information Gaps

• Open sources, including propaganda channels, do not capture all statements made by either Ansar Allah or PLC-aligned officials.

Key assumptions

• PLC-aligned factions remain aligned around the objective of a unified offensive against Ansar Allah and recapturing Ansar Allah-held territories in northwestern Yemen at the time of publication.