Key Takeaways
- Yemeni government forces have seized key positions in Dhubab district overlooking Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Heavy air support from a Saudi-led coalition is aiding the government forces in their advance.
- Fighting continues in Taiz as Houthis advance onto sections of the mountain road.
Yemeni government forces have seized key positions in Dhubab district, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to military and government sources. This move is part of a broader offensive to recapture territory from the Houthis, who have been advancing in the area.
The government forces have taken large parts of Dhubab district with the support of heavy air strikes from a Saudi-led coalition. Three military sources and one government source confirmed the advance to Reuters.
In a conflicting report, Houthi-aligned media denied that government forces had made any advances in the area, describing such claims as 'completely untrue.'
Meanwhile, the Houthis have advanced onto sections of the mountain road to the major city of Taiz, besieging government forces there, according to five government sources. One government source denied that the road had been cut.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a key energy export route, and the fighting in Yemen has threatened another major oil export route, pushing up global prices and raising new risks in the region.
The internationally recognised Yemeni government announced the launch of its offensive to recapture territory, with President Rashad al-Alimi swearing to fight 'until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia.'
Saudi Arabia, which arms and trains Yemeni government forces, is backing the military campaign with air power and has sought logistical help from allies to push back the Houthis, restore free traffic in the Red Sea, and end the group’s attacks on its territory.
Riyadh said on Monday it had attacked hundreds of targets in Yemen to provide air cover for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Yemeni ground forces.
The heaviest fighting is in southwest Yemen, both in the coastal area near the strait and in the hills around Taiz, where the Houthis have been battling to surround government forces.
