both sides claim to constitute the official government of yemen. houthi forces currently controlling the capital sanaʽa, allied with forces loyal to the former president ali abdullah saleh, have clashed with the forces loyal to hadi who are based in aden. al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula (aqap) and the islamic state of iraq and the levant have also carried out attacks, with aqap controlling swathes of territory in the hinterlands, and along stretches of the coast. on 21 march 2015, after taking over sanaʽa and the yemeni government, the houthi-led supreme revolutionary committee declared a general mobilization to overthrow hadi and expand their control by driving into southern provinces. the houthi offensive, allied with military forces loyal to saleh, began fighting the next day in lahij governorate. by 25 march, lahij fell to the houthis and they reached the outskirts of aden, the seat of power for hadi's government. hadi fled the country the same day. at the same time, a coalition led by saudi arabia launched military operations by using air strikes to restore the former yemeni government. the united states provided intelligence and logistical support for the campaign.