Yemeni pro-government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have announced that they have "secured" the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic waterway at the southern end of the Red Sea. This development comes at the start of a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi movement. The Yemeni military stated that National Shield, Giants Brigades, and Tihama Resistance forces captured the Red Sea city of Mokha on Monday afternoon, with the assistance of Saudi air strikes.
However, there are conflicting reports regarding the capture of Mokha. Unnamed Yemeni government and military sources told Reuters and AFP that the forces have only reached the city's outskirts. The Houthis did not comment on the situation in Mokha but reported that they had struck Riyadh's international airport and other sites. In response, Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks and reiterated calls for the UN Security Council's permanent members to support Yemen's government.
According to government sources, Yemeni forces reached the outskirts of Mokha late on Monday, and Houthi fighters were retreating. Government military sources confirmed that their forces took control of the Dhubab military airfield and cut the road linking the Dhubab district to the Bab al-Mandab area. The Yemeni military also reported seizing Dhubab airport, 45km south of Mokha, and besieging Houthi fighters inside the nearby town.
The Houthi-run media denied reports that government forces had made advances in Dhubab. The government announced that operations had begun on other fronts on Monday, including the capital Sanaa, which fell to the Houthis at the start of the civil war 12 years ago. A Saudi-led military coalition stated that its fighter jets were providing "round-the-clock" air support to the pro-government forces and had destroyed 324 "high-value" targets since the start of the offensive.
Turkey and Pakistan, allies of Saudi Arabia, held an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday and agreed to rapidly deploy military forces in Saudi Arabia, invoking their Mecca defence pact. However, Saudi air strikes resulted in casualties, with a schoolgirl and a woman killed in the Sanhan and Saawan districts of Sanaa on Monday, according to Houthi-run Al Masirah TV. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam accused Saudi Arabia of committing "dozens of massacres".
The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Co-ordination Centre warned civilian airlines that Saudi airspace, except for the skies above the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, was no longer safe. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the continued Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed deep concern over the sharp escalation in fighting. The head of Yemen's internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, announced the beginning of the offensive, dubbed Operation Yemen Dawn.
The offensive aims to retake all territory held by the Houthis, with al-Alimi insisting that all opportunities for de-escalation had been exhausted. He called on all forces to carry out their duties. The situation in Yemen remains volatile, with ongoing clashes and humanitarian concerns. The international community continues to monitor developments, urging restraint and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Key points
- Yemeni pro-government forces claim to have secured the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
- Conflicting reports emerge regarding the capture of the city of Mokha.
- The offensive aims to retake all territory held by the Houthis.
