WEB DESK: Yemen’s government forces on Monday claimed to have seized strategic positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait following clashes with Houthi fighters.
Yemen’s official Saba news agency announced that forces from the Nation’s Shield and the pro-government Southern Giants Brigades, supported by the Popular Resistance, have gained control of Dhubab in the western Taiz province.
According to Yemeni military spokesperson Brigadier General Majid al-Nuzaili, troops are currently advancing towards the port city of Mokha.
This development followed Yemen’s military launching a significant campaign targeting Houthi positions, after the government declared a new offensive to reclaim areas controlled by the Iran-backed group.
The offensive aims to achieve an ambitious objective for the Saudi-backed government, which had recently lost significant portions of the Red Sea coastline and territories around the crucial Bab al-Mandab Strait, an essential route for global shipping.
In September, the Houthis launched a rapid offensive against the internationally recognized government, resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides and, as per UN figures, displacing over 145,000 people from their homes.
While Yemen’s conflict began before the Middle East war that started with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, it has recently become the most active front in the broader regional conflict.
Following the government’s announcement, the Yemeni military reported executing more than 1,000 strikes on Houthi artillery and rocket launcher positions, defensive fortifications, reinforcement routes, supply lines, and logistics assets.
Despite these efforts, the government has not yet managed to halt the ongoing Houthi advancements on the ground.
On Sunday, the Houthis effectively surrounded the critical city of Taiz by severing its main supply route to Aden, the interim government capital.
Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst for Yemen at the International Crisis Group, indicated that this is a noteworthy development but cautioned that it is premature to declare it a decisive turning point.
The city of Taiz remains under government control but has long been besieged from the north, east, and west by Houthi fighters. It continues to be one of the main fronts in Yemen’s enduring civil war.
