Yemen’s government forces announced that they had regained full control of the town of "Zubab" and several strategic military positions around the international Bab el-Mandeb strait, west of Taiz province, after launching a wide-ranging attack on positions held by the Houthi group.
Reuters news agency reported, citing military sources, that government forces had made major advances on the outskirts of the Zubab area, which directly overlooks the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait. The development represents a devastating blow to the Houthis’ influence over one of the world’s most important waterways for global trade in the Red Sea.
The maritime and coastal advance coincided with the announcement of the "Liberation Battle" operation by Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, against the Houthis. In this context, the Yemeni army said it had carried out more than 1,122 precision air and missile strikes against the positions and supply lines of Houthi fighters in Taiz and the coastal areas, with the aim of protecting maritime security and the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Although Houthi media deny that any advance toward the Zubab area has taken place, the Arab Coalition reaffirmed its full support for Yemen’s government forces with the aim of ending threats to shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
