Battle for Yemen's Strategic Kahboub Mountains Escalates as Houthis Push for Tactical Advantage

Iran-backed Houthis are engaged in fierce battles with Yemen's pro-government forces to seize control of the strategic Kahboub mountain range in the country's south-west, securing a potential major tactical advantage for the rebels.

Stretching across the provinces of Taiz and Lahj, the mountains offer crucial high ground overlooking the Bab Al Mandeb strait and Dhubab, areas captured by the Houthis earlier this month during a rapid offensive along Yemen's entire west coast.

“Back and forth battles are continuing in the rugged mountains which, geographically, aren't an area that's easy to advance in,” Yemeni risk analyst Mohammed Al Qadhi told The National. “The Houthis are tirelessly trying to recapture these mountains to protect their back in case they need to defend their positions.”

The rebels previously captured the mountains in 2015 following their takeover of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, but subsequently lost them and the port city of Mokha during a 2017 Red Sea coast campaign led by pro-government forces and backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

The ongoing fighting marks the most intense conflict in Yemen since a 2022 de facto truce established an extended period of relative calm. Ahmad Nagi, a senior analyst on Yemen at Crisis Group, noted that while the current Houthi advance mirrors tactics from a decade ago, the rebels have adjusted their strategy.

“They are trying to avoid the mistakes they made back then,” he told The National. “Instead of taking control of larger areas, they are trying to consolidate their control over the areas they have gained before moving into new, more exposed areas.”

Mr Nagi cautioned that future territorial gains might be slow, depending heavily on the reaction of government-aligned forces, Saudi air support, and the determination of the Houthis despite high casualties.

Amid these developments, the Yemeni government has sought broader international support. Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), requested military assistance during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, though sources noted Mr Trump made no direct pledge of support.

Saudi Arabia has also sought international backing following repeated Houthi drone and missile attacks since July, which followed rebel accusations of a Riyadh-imposed siege and a declared embargo on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the UK would provide Saudi Arabia with defensive air-to-air refuelling using a Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager from the Akrotiri military base in Cyprus to safeguard critical energy and trade routes.

According to the UN, the renewed violence in Yemen has displaced more than 120,000 people, primarily from Taiz and Lahj, with displacement numbers expected to climb further.