Yemeni government forces advance along key Bab el-Mandeb shipping route
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces advanced along the coast around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Oct. 5, pushing Iran-backed Houthi forces from most areas they seized last month, according to the internationally recognized government.
Government forces, backed by Saudi airstrikes, reached the outskirts of the port city of Mocha, four government sources told Reuters. Yemen’s Defense Ministry said the city had been captured, while Houthi fighters were retreating toward the highlands.
The forces also seized key positions around the strait, including an airstrip in the Dhubab district at its entrance, according to the Saudi-led coalition.
If confirmed, the advance could weaken Houthi control over the Bab el-Mandeb, a vital route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and, through the Suez Canal, global shipping routes. The Houthis could still attack vessels with drones from other positions.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the extent of the government gains. The Houthis rejected the Saudi-backed government’s claims as baseless.
The Houthis have meanwhile made gains around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. Five government military sources told Reuters that Houthi forces had taken sections of a mountain road, leaving government troops in the city surrounded, although another government source disputed that the road had been cut.
Fighting in Yemen has intensified since the country’s dormant civil war reignited amid the wider U.S.-Iran conflict. The escalation comes as Iran has also restricted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government launched a major offensive against the Houthis on Oct. 4. The Houthis had expanded their position around Bab el-Mandeb in September, including by seizing the strategically located Perim Island.