Key Points
- Government forces also seize Dhubab district and airport
- Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen says 100 fighter jets support the offensive
- Yemeni army reports 1,747 Houthis neutralised in 1,122 operations
ISLAMABAD: Government forces backed by Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen have recaptured the Red Sea port city of Mokha and Bab el Mandeb from the Houthi group after fierce fighting, reclaiming territory from the group, state news agency SABA reported.
The Nation’s Shield Forces, Southern Giants Brigades and Tihama Resistance, backed by the Popular Resistance and air support, took control of Mokha in southwestern Taiz province, according to a military source cited by SABA.
Meanwhile, military spokesman Lt Col Majid Abdullah al-Nuzayli also confirmed that the pro-government Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield forces had “successfully taken control of Bab el-Mandeb”.
The Houthis had controlled the strategic city since early September.
Fighting around the city involved various types of weapons, with Houthi fighters killed and wounded, the source said. Several others were captured while others fled, although no figures were provided.
The capture of Mokha followed coalition-supported government forces’ reported seizure of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb area, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
The forces also seized Dhubab airport and cut the road linking Dhubab with Mokha, he added.
Hundreds of Houthi fighters were surrounded in the Dhubab area and urged to surrender, while some later fled by boat, according to al-Nuzayli.
The developments came after armed forces announced the start of what they described as a strategic offensive targeting territory held by the Houthis, including positions around the capital Sanaa.
READ ALSO: Yemen Announces Major Military Operations Against Houthis
The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and large parts of northwestern Yemen since seizing the capital and several provinces in 2014.
The conflict prompted Saudi Arabia and its allies to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
‘Dawn of Yemen’
The coalition said 100 fighter jets had participated in the ongoing “Dawn of Yemen” operation against the Houthis.
The coalition said it has destroyed 324 high-value targets since the operation began. It also said it was providing round-the-clock air support to government forces and air protection for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The coalition said operations against moving targets were continuing.
The military campaign has placed particular emphasis on the western coast because of its proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb, through which a significant volume of international maritime trade passes.
The army said its government forces had carried out 1,122 military operations across several fronts, stating that 1,747 Houthi members had been “neutralised”.
According to al-Nuzayli, the operations targeted artillery and rocket-launcher positions, defensive fortifications, supply routes, reinforcements, military buildups and command-and-control centres.
The operations were conducted in Saada, Al-Jawf and Taiz provinces and along the western coast, involving warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles, rocket launchers and snipers.
The army said it has also destroyed 364 military vehicles, and transport and supply assets have been destroyed or disabled.
The offensive was announced by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi, who ordered comprehensive military operations aimed at reclaiming territory from the Houthis and restoring state institutions.
The escalation follows intensified fighting since July and a major Houthi advance in September that saw the group take Mokha and move towards Mayyun Island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Major General Turki Al-Malki, said forces would continue supporting the Yemeni government and armed forces until state institutions were restored and the Houthi threat to maritime navigation in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb ended.
“The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition continues to provide full operational support to the Yemeni Armed Forces, reaffirming its stance alongside the legitimate Yemeni government and the brotherly Yemeni people to end the coup and restore the state and its national institutions to build the future of Yemen,” he said, as cited by the Saudi Press Agency.
