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Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have pushed Iran-aligned Houthi fighters out of most of the areas they captured last month around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Reuters reported.
The government forces launched a rapid offensive on October 5 and advanced along the Red Sea coast toward the city of Mocha. Four government sources told Reuters that the forces reached the outskirts of Mocha late Monday as Houthi fighters withdrew toward the highlands. Yemen’s Defense Ministry said the city had fallen under government control.
The troops also captured key positions near the mouth of the strait, including an airstrip in the Dhubab district. The offensive was supported by heavy Saudi airstrikes, with Saudi Arabia saying it had attacked hundreds of Houthi targets.
Reclaiming the coastline could weaken the Houthis’ ability to attack shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital Red Sea route. However, the group could still launch drones against vessels from other coastal positions or from inland areas, Reuters noted.
The Houthis disputed the government’s claims, saying the reported gains were baseless. Reuters was unable to independently verify the full extent of the government’s territorial advances.
At the same time, the Houthis made gains near Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. Five government military sources said Houthi fighters seized sections of a mountain road, potentially leaving government forces under siege, although another government source disputed that the route had been cut.
The Houthis also threatened to attack air traffic in Saudi airspace. In response to the escalation, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed at an emergency meeting in Riyadh to rapidly deploy military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia under their joint defense pact.
The renewed fighting has further worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. The UN migration agency said 184,000 people had been displaced since the war resumed.
The fighting intensified after the Houthis’ advance along the Red Sea coast in September, when they seized Mocha and moved toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
