Yemeni government forces advance to Bab el-Mandeb Strait
USO•Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces said they had secured effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, though fighting continued nearby. The Houthis also made advances near Taiz, where government forces were reported besieged.
1. Control remains contested
Yemen’s information minister said government forces had secured effective control of the strait and seized the Dhubab airstrip. A government source said fighting continued at a military base nearby, while the Houthis denied government forces had made gains.
2. Advances near Taiz
Five government military sources said Houthi fighters gained sections of a mountain road and made advances into al-Turbah, leaving government forces in Taiz besieged. Another government source denied the road had been cut and disputed the reported advance into al-Turbah.
3. Shipping and airstrikes
The fighting threatens the Bab el-Mandeb, described in the article as a vital oil route. Saudi Arabia said it had attacked hundreds of targets in Yemen to provide air cover for the strait and government forces; the Houthi-run health ministry said strikes in Sanaa province killed two people and wounded seven.
