Fighting continues between Yemen gov’t forces, Houthis: What is the latest?
Fighting in Yemen has intensified after Houthi forces seized the strategic port city of Mocha and the island of Mayyun, completing control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi air strikes, has mounted counterattacks while thousands of civilians have been displaced.
Why It Matters
Control of the Bab al-Mandeb threatens a key Red Sea shipping choke point and could have wider implications for regional security and global trade. The surge in fighting has also produced a fresh humanitarian displacement crisis inside and beyond Yemen's borders.
Key Facts
- recent territorial gains: Houthis captured Mocha on Thursday and the island of Mayyun (Perim) on Friday, completing control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
- government response: Yemeni government forces said they launched air attacks on Houthi positions along the Red Sea coast and targeted fighters and vehicles on the Mocha-Dhubab road, 11 km from Mocha.
- claims of air strikes: The Houthi movement said Saudi Arabia launched more than 100 air attacks in the past 48 hours; Al Jazeera reported 129 air strikes on recently captured areas.
- humanitarian impact: The United Nations said nearly 46,000 people have been displaced; tens of thousands more have fled, including more than 2,000 who went to Djibouti.
- key front lines: Active fronts include the western coast and Bab al-Mandeb (Mocha, Hodeidah), Taiz, Marib and al-Jawf, and Dhalea.
Fighting in Yemen has escalated after Houthi forces took full control of Mocha and the nearby island of Mayyun, securing the Bab al-Mandeb strait. In response, forces aligned with the internationally recognised government mounted air attacks aimed at dislodging Houthi fighters from the Red Sea coastline. State-linked media reported strikes that they said destroyed vehicles and weapons and killed Houthi combatants near Mocha.
The government’s military spokesperson said strikes hit Houthi vehicles and fighters on the Mocha–Dhubab road about 11 km from the city. Separately, the reserve Nation Shield Force reported that its 6th Brigade shot down five drones during clashes in the al-Aghbara area, and army-affiliated outlets said air raids across the country targeted Houthi positions. Reporting from Sanaa for Al Jazeera indicated Saudi air operations have been concentrated against recent Houthi advances, with one report citing 129 strikes on contested areas.
Senior government figures said forces that pulled back from the west coast are regrouping in the central governorate of Marib and plan to return to the frontline. Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and governor of Marib, described the coastal losses as painful but part of wartime setbacks, and said the ultimate goal remains reclaiming the capital, Sanaa. Analysts and government sources have also pointed to ongoing clashes on the outskirts of Marib and strikes on Houthi buildups in Taiz.
The renewed fighting has had a significant humanitarian toll. The United Nations put the number of displaced people at nearly 46,000, while reporting noted that tens of thousands have fled, including more than 2,000 who reached Djibouti. Observers warn that fragmentation and rivalries among forces aligned with the government — described by one analyst as a split command competing for influence — are complicating efforts to push back the Houthis and stabilise the situation.
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Original source: Al Jazeera