Yemeni Forces Advance Near Bab el-Mandeb; Iran-Backed Houthis Accuse Saudi Arabia of Airport Strikes

SANAA, Oct 10: Yemeni government forces are advancing against the Iran-backed Houthis near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while the Iran-backed Houthi group has accused Saudi Arabia of launching four airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, according to reports on Saturday.

Military sources told AFP that government forces had made gains in areas surrounding the strait but had not yet secured control of the waterway. The Saudi-backed government launched a counteroffensive last week to retake territory held by the Houthis after the group seized Yemen’s entire western coastline in a rapid offensive. The Houthis acknowledged that government forces had attacked in the Bab el-Mandeb area but claimed they had repelled the assault.

Meanwhile, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi aircraft carried out four strikes on Sanaa International Airport and three more targeting a telecommunications network in Al Mahabishah, in Hajjah province. There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials or Yemen’s internationally recognized government regarding the reported airstrikes.

Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a critical route for international shipping and energy supplies. The latest developments come amid a wave of clashes that began in July, marking the most extensive fighting since a period of relative calm following a truce that took effect in April 2022.

Yemen has been engulfed in war since the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.