Yemen Government Forces Advance at Bab Al Mandeb as Saudi Coalition Intensifies Airstrikes

Yemeni government forces announced on Monday that they successfully seized strategic positions around the Bab Al Mandeb strait and the Dhubab area overlooking the critical sea lane. This development coincided with an announcement from a Saudi-led coalition that 100 fighter jets are actively participating in a major anti-Houthi offensive.

Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki stated that the alliance is delivering continuous, round-the-clock air support to Yemeni ground troops, alongside dedicated air cover for the Bab Al Mandeb strait as operations against moving targets persist. According to Maj Gen Turki Al Malki, the offensive has successfully destroyed 324 high-value Houthi targets with the deployment of 100 fighter jets.

Concurrently, Yemen's armed forces initiated a strategic offensive targeting the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa on Monday, as reported by their spokesman, Col Majed Al Nuzaili. Col Majed Al Nuzaili noted that advanced capabilities are being utilized in the operation, while Houthi-run Al Masirah TV confirmed that Sanaa has come under attack.

Col Majed Al Nuzaili explained that government forces executed a flanking manoeuvre to secure the Bab Al Mandeb strait with the assistance of the Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield Forces. Furthermore, government forces took control of Dhubab airport, severed the roadway connecting Dhubab with Mokha, and established firm command over the route. Col Majed Al Nuzaili added that hundreds of Houthi fighters remain surrounded in Dhubab, facing calls to surrender, while others managed to escape by boat.

These battlefield claims could not be independently verified immediately and have yet to be confirmed by the Houthis. The military escalation follows an official announcement by Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, regarding the launch of Operation Yemen Dawn aimed at restoring state institutions, recapturing Sanaa, and ending the Houthi coup.

Expressing optimism, Rashad Al Alimi stated that with divine aid, the will of the people, the bravery of the armed forces and military formations, and the backing of regional brothers and friends, Yemen is moving toward a new era of freedom, peace, and stability. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government officially launched this offensive on Sunday to reclaim territory from the Iran-aligned Houthis, with the coalition confirming that air operations and strikes against moving targets are ongoing.

The broader conflict in Yemen originated in 2014 when the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene a year later with an air campaign designed to reinstate the government and expel the rebel faction. The conflict subsequently devolved into a bloody stalemate characterized by stagnant front lines and a severe humanitarian crisis within the poorest Arab nation. Although a 2022 ceasefire largely held until this summer, Saudi Arabia—which trains and arms Yemeni government forces—continues to support the current military campaign with air power while seeking logistical assistance from allies to push back the Houthis, secure free navigation in the Red Sea, and halt attacks on its territory.