Yemeni forces seize strategic Bab Al-Mandab area from Houthis

ADEN — Yemeni government forces took control of the strategic Bab Al-Mandab area from the Houthis on Monday as part of the ongoing Operation Dawn of Yemen, the military said.Military spokesman Lt. Col. Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzayli said the pro-government Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield forces had “successfully taken control of Bab Al-Mandab.”In a series of statements on X, Al-Nuzayli said government forces also seized Dhubab airport and cut the road linking Dhubab and Mokha.He said hundreds of Houthi fighters had been surrounded in the Dhubab area and called on them to surrender.Al-Nuzayli later said some Houthi fighters had fled the area by boat. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the army’s claims.The advances are part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, launched by the Yemeni government to retake territory and state institutions under Houthi control.Bab Al-Mandab is a strategically vital waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea and serves as a major route for international shipping.