ADEN (The Thursday Times) — Yemeni forces aligned with the internationally recognised government said on Sunday they were withdrawing from Dhubab airport and the area overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a move that could leave the Iran-backed Houthis in control of ground beside the vital Red Sea waterway.
“The Southern Armed Forces announce the implementation of a redeployment operation for its forces from Dhubab airport and the Bab el-Mandeb area, west of Taiz governorate,” the group said. It said the step was taken “based on the priority of securing the capital, Aden, and the neighbouring governorates, as well as strengthening the front lines and addressing existing threats”.
The forces said the redeployment would also support efforts to break the Houthi siege of Taiz city and to ease the suffering of its residents, and that it was being carried out with the support of the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s government.
Gains from October
Government forces launched a campaign in October to recapture strategic coastal areas after the Houthis pushed south in September, bringing them within reach of the strait. Last month, government troops said they had retaken the Dhubab area overlooking the sea lane, as well as the port city of Mokha.
Pressure on shipping and Saudi Arabia
The pullback could give the Houthis greater leverage over the chokepoint and potentially increase pressure on global shipping, which is already being disrupted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. The Houthis have also stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, striking ports, airports, and Saudi Aramco facilities, including the kingdom’s Red Sea oil export hub at Yanbu, disrupting flights and oil supplies.
Government forces had already been fortifying Aden as the Houthis pushed towards its edge. On Sunday, a Houthi missile hit a checkpoint at Khor Omeira in Lahj province, near Aden, killing five people and wounding eight, according to military and government sources. Separately, a rights group says Houthi attacks have killed 51 civilians in Taiz in 12 days.
