Yemeni Forces Retake Mokha and Secure Red Sea Waterway in Houthi Offensive
Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia, have launched a major offensive to retake territory held by the Houthi movement. On Monday, pro-government troops announced they had recaptured the Red Sea port city of Mokha and secured the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. The operation involved the National Shield, Giants Brigades, and Tihama Resistance forces, with Saudi air strikes providing crucial support. Earlier in the day, the military claimed to have seized Dhubab airport and surrounded Houthi fighters in a nearby town, though Houthi media denied these advances.
The offensive, dubbed Operation Yemen Dawn, aims to reclaim all Houthi-controlled areas, including the capital Sanaa, which fell to the Houthis 12 years ago. A Saudi-led coalition reported destroying 324 high-value targets since the start of the operation. However, Saudi air strikes reportedly killed a schoolgirl and a woman in Sanaa, prompting Houthi accusations of massacres. The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Co-ordination Centre warned that Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina, was no longer safe due to military operations.
The conflict escalated after the Houthis cut a mountain road near Taiz, effectively surrounding government forces and residents. In retaliation, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi oil facilities, including those belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh and Khurais. Satellite imagery confirmed strikes on these facilities, contributing to a surge in global oil prices. The UN reported that at least 959 people have been killed and 5,000 injured since August, with another 197,000 displaced.
The civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa, escalating in 2015 with a Saudi-led intervention. A four-year informal ceasefire collapsed in July, leading to Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets in the Red Sea. The Houthis claimed they posed no threat to international shipping but would target Saudi vessels, exacerbating tensions in the region.