Yemeni government forces say they have taken control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait in a sweeping offensive aimed at weakening the Houthi movement, a military spokesperson announced on Monday, reported by Arab News.
The operation, dubbed “Dawn of Yemen,” reportedly involved the Giants Brigades and the Nation’s Shield Forces, who moved to secure the area around Dhu Bab, including its airport and the main road linking the town to the port city of Mokha. Hundreds of Houthi fighters said to be encircled in Dhu Bab were urged to lay down their arms, while others reportedly escaped by boat, the spokesperson said.
President Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Leadership Council, declared the campaign a turning point in the country’s long conflict, vowing to restore state authority, retake the capital Sana’a, and end what he called the Houthi coup. “With the will of our people, the bravery of our forces, and the support of our brothers, Yemen will move toward a new dawn,” he said.
The armed forces said earlier that strikes had hit more than 1,100 Houthi targets across Saada, al-Jawf and Taiz provinces. Maj. Gen. Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, a military spokesperson, claimed on social media that the operations had “neutralized” 1,747 fighters and disabled or destroyed 364 vehicles and supply units.
According to reports cited by Al Arabiya, Houthi units remain surrounded in Bab al-Mandab and on nearby Mayun Island, as government troops push north along the western coast toward Mokha. Al-Alimi had announced on Sunday that a “decisive phase” was beginning to recapture territory still held by the Houthis, insisting civilians would not be targeted and that the goal was to restore security and dignity to all Yemenis.
The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen pledged continued backing for the offensive until state institutions are fully restored and what it described as the threat from the Houthi militia is eliminated. The spokesperson said the operation was still underway to achieve its objectives.
