Yemeni Forces Reportedly Retake Areas Near Bab el-Mandeb

Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government have reportedly recaptured several areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as fighting with the Houthis intensifies.

Yemeni officials said the forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, retook Dhubab and captured the towns of Bab and Hadeid. Dhubab lies just north of the strait, a major maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to brief reporters. Their account has not established the full extent of the reported territorial changes.

Witnesses said they saw government tanks and forces entering the towns. The reported operation formed part of a major offensive launched early Monday under air cover from a Saudi military coalition.

Fighting spreads around Taiz

The offensive followed advances by the Houthis around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. The Houthis reportedly seized several villages and other areas on the city’s outskirts, including the town of Turbah on Sunday.

Turbah sits on a main road linking Taiz with Aden, which serves as an interim seat of Yemen’s government. The town was also described as an important position for government forces defending Taiz.

Video shown by Sky News depicted military vehicles and fighters around Taiz. It also showed families, including women and small children, packing supplies and leaving the area.

Regional tensions

The latest fighting has revived Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire. The conflict has also been accompanied by competing claims involving Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities, airports and military bases. Those statements were presented as claims by the group, and the supplied reports did not provide independent confirmation of the attacks or details about their scale and outcome.

No casualty figures, identities of the Yemeni officials or further details about the ceasefire were provided in the available information.

The reported recapture of areas near Bab el-Mandeb is significant because the strait is a vital shipping passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, the available accounts do not independently confirm how control of the wider area has changed.