Yemeni Government Forces Advance Near Bab el-Mandeb as Heavy Fighting Continues

Yemeni government forces recaptured areas around the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Iran-backed Houthis on Monday in a deadly new phase of the country's war, with videos showing armoured vehicles driving over opposing fighters.

The Fighting

The Houthi advance last month sent shockwaves through the oil market and pushed up fuel prices worldwide. Fighting continued on Tuesday as Saudi-backed government forces besieged Houthi fighters at a military camp near the strait and pushed into hills to the east, according to Yemeni military sources. Videos filmed from inside the vehicles showed them striking armed and unarmed fighters, including some sitting or crouching on the sandy shore. A Houthi statement decried the videos as proof of war crimes, pointing to the forces mobilised from extremist factions. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Giants Brigade, the main government force involved, also did not immediately comment. The Homeland Shield Forces issued a directive urging troops to treat prisoners well. Rights groups have previously accused the Houthis of war crimes, which the group has denied. Meanwhile, Reuters has not been able to independently verify the extent of government gains, and the Houthis denied losing ground.

Broader Conflict

Intense fighting continued around Taiz, where Houthi gains cut off a main road to Aden and left government forces encircled. Yemen's civil war pits the Houthis against a coalition under the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia. The renewed clashes added a new front to the Iran-US conflict, with the US rebuffing Saudi requests for military help. Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the operation is a turning point in the conflict. The Giants Brigade, a southern military formation originally formed by students at religious colleges, has fractured this year between factions backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The conflict has also targeted Saudi infrastructure, with residents in Riyadh hearing booms overnight and southern airports targeted. Saudi Arabia's intervention included intense air strikes on Monday.

Context

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a crucial global shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Conflicts in this region frequently disrupt international trade and energy supplies. Yemen's long-running civil war involves multiple regional powers and local armed groups.