Yemen government forces capture strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthis
What's the story
Yemeni government forces have reportedly captured the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthi rebels as part of the ongoing military operation, dubbed "Dawn of Yemen." Military spokesman Lt. Col. Majid Abdullah al-Nuzayli on Monday said that pro-government Southern Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield forces were behind this successful operation. The internationally-recognized Yemeni government launched its offensive on Sunday to retake territory, with President Rashad al-Alimi pledging to fight "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia."
Strategic gains
Government forces also seized Dhubab airport
In his statements on X, al-Nuzayli revealed that government forces also seized control of Dhubab airport and severed the road connecting Dhubab to Mokha.
Lt. Col. al-Nuzayli said hundreds of Houthi fighters are now surrounded in the Dhubab area. He has urged them to surrender.
Some of these fighters have reportedly fled by boat through the sea.
Surrender call
Hundreds of Houthi fighters surrounded in Dhubab area
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a major waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, making it an important international shipping route.
It became a key alternative to the effectively closed Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia, which backs the Yemeni government forces, is supporting the military campaign with air power and has sought help from allies to push back the Houthis, restore traffic in the Red Sea, and end the group's attacks on its territory.