Yemeni Forces 'Secure' Bab al-Mandab in Houthi Offensive — SkimNews
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- Yemeni government forces — specifically Giants Brigades and National Shield forces — say they have 'secured' the Bab al-Mandab Strait, besieging Houthis in the Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab after seizing its airport and cutting the road to the port city of Mokha.
- Houthi-run media denied that government forces made any advances in the Dhubab area, directly contradicting the 'secured' announcement that dominates Western coverage.
- The Saudi-led military coalition said its fighter jets destroyed more than 300 'high-value' Houthi targets in strikes supporting the ground offensive.
- Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi announced the offensive aims to retake all Houthi-held territory, declaring that 'all opportunities for de-escalation had been exhausted.'
- Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco oil sites in Riyadh and the Khurais area in retaliation, and reportedly cut a mountain road near Taiz, effectively surrounding government forces and residents in the southwestern city.
- Since 6 August, at least 959 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in fighting, with another 197,000 displaced according to the UN, per the government's health ministry.
Why it matters: The offensive marks a sharp escalation after a four-year informal ceasefire unraveled in July, with al-Alimi declaring de-escalation 'exhausted' and Houthis retaliating against Saudi Aramco sites. With 959 killed and 197,000 displaced in just over two months, the Red Sea coast operation threatens to re-ignite a conflict that had been largely frozen since 2022.
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