Saudi-backed Yemeni forces seize Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthi rebels

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces seize Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthi rebels Fighting has raged along several frontlines in Yemen for weeks after a dormant civil war erupted in a spillover from the US-Iran conflict - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Yemeni government troops, supported by Saudi Arabia, captured key positions along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday in an effort to push back Iran-aligned Houthi fighters who gained ground last month, military and government sources said. Having secured broad swathes of Dhubab district overlooking the strait, the troops are asserting full control with heavy air support from a Saudi-led coalition, three military sources and a government official said. Media aligned with the Houthis had earlier denied that government forces were making advances in the region. Heavy fighting has flared across several Yemeni frontlines for weeks after a dormant civil war reignited as part of broader US-Iran tensions, with Houthis attempting to secure the strategic strait while firing drones and missiles at Saudi targets. With Gulf energy exports already limited by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, escalating violence in Yemen imperils another vital oil corridor, pushing up global prices and compounding risks in an unstable region. The internationally recognised Yemeni government formally 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". 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. While the war has raged on several frontlines in Yemen, the heaviest fighting has been in the southwest, both in the coastal area near the strait and in the hills around the city of Taiz, where the Houthis are trying to surround government forces. A Houthi-run news agency on Monday cited a military source as saying that the group had driven government forces from the al-Mawasit district of Taiz province, reaching the home of Alimi, head of Yemen's interim presidential council. The mountainous district sits close to the main road running from Taiz to Aden, the last route that government forces have had into the city, which has been on the frontlines since early in the civil war. Yemen's conflict began after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in the following year with an air campaign aimed at restoring the government and ousting the Iran-backed group. The fighting quickly ground to a bloody stalemate, with most frontlines stalled, leading to a major humanitarian crisis in what was already the poorest Arab state, until a ceasefire was agreed in 2022 that held until this summer. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments