Yemeni forces launch new attack near Bab al-Mandab

The Southern Giants Brigades launched a new attack near Bab al-Mandab in western Yemen on Sunday, targeting Houthi positions.

A separate account said Yemeni forces, including the Giants and Homeland Shield forces, were advancing with support from airstrikes and local resistance fighters.

The fighting comes after Houthi forces gained ground along Yemen’s western coast in September, including around the port city of Mokha and areas near the strait.

Bab al-Mandab links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, making it a key route for international shipping and vessels travelling to and from the Suez Canal.

Earlier in October, government forces and the Giants said they had retaken the nearby area of Dhubab, but the accounts differ on the details and extent of current gains.

Fighting has also intensified in Taiz, where government forces and the Houthis have clashed around the Old Airport area.