Yemeni government forces claimed on Monday to have retaken key positions near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital chokepoint for global trade. The developments came as the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned American citizens of potential drone and missile attacks on the country. The government forces, which are backed by Saudi Arabia, have also begun implementing a strategic offensive operation against the Huthi-controlled capital, Sanaa.
The Yemeni military spokesperson, Majid al-Nuzaili, said on social media that government forces have succeeded in controlling Bab al-Mandeb and regained control from the Huthis of a key road linking Dhubab district and the port town of Mocha. However, CNN has not independently verified the claim. The Huthi-run Saba News Agency denied reports that the Yemeni troops and Saudi-led coalition forces are advancing, quoting an unidentified military source as saying that the alleged gains are “fictitious” and an “attempt to cover up repeated failures and defeats.”
The renewed fighting has already forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and what happens next could shift the balance of power in Yemen and further exacerbate an already bleak humanitarian crisis. Three out of every four families in parts of Yemen are going hungry because of the surge in fighting, the World Food Program said last week. The crisis has been escalating, with the Huthis carrying out a lightning offensive down the Red Sea coast, seizing control of a key port and putting additional pressure on international shipping.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s presidential council, said in a televised speech on Sunday that the military operations aimed to reclaim territory held by Huthis and restore state authority across the country. An offensive had been widely expected amid dozens of Saudi airstrikes against Huthi positions and further Huthi gains in southern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis pledged full support on Sunday to Yemen’s internationally recognized government in its campaign to retake territory.
Saudi Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the coalition, said over the weekend that it will continue providing “full operational support” to Yemeni government forces in what he described as efforts to restore state institutions and end “the Huthi coup.” The Huthi-controlled forces said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had carried out 106 air and missile strikes over the previous 24 hours targeting Sanaa and other areas of the country.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show Yemeni government-aligned forces driving over several Huthi fighters during clashes near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The footage was shared on Monday by Habib al-Radi’i, who identified himself as an officer in the Yemeni National Army. Later on Monday, Ahmed al-Ashwal, a Yemeni military and security adviser, said on social media that those shown in the video “were not prisoners” and had not surrendered.
Key points
- The Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have launched a renewed campaign to roll back recent gains made by the Iran-backed Huthi movement near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
- The renewed fighting has already forced tens of thousands of people from their homes and could further exacerbate an already bleak humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
- The Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis has pledged full support to Yemen’s internationally recognized government in its campaign to retake territory.
