Yemeni military claims to have secured Bab al-Mandab Strait amid offensive against Houthis

Yemen's government has launched an offensive aimed at retaking all territory held by the Houthis. Yemeni pro-government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, claim to have secured the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, marking the beginning of a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi movement. The Yemeni military reported that National Shield, Giants Brigades, and Tihama Resistance forces captured the Red Sea city of Mokha on Monday afternoon with the assistance of Saudi air strikes. However, conflicting reports from unnamed Yemeni government and military sources indicated that the forces had only reached the outskirts of the city. The Houthis claimed to have struck Riyadh's international airport and other sites but did not comment on the situation in Mokha. Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks and reiterated calls for support from the UN Security Council's permanent members for Yemen's government. Four government sources informed Reuters that Yemeni forces had reached Mokha's outskirts late on Monday, with Houthi fighters reportedly retreating. Military sources who spoke to AFP did not confirm the capture of the city but stated that government forces took control of the Dhubab military airfield and cut the road linking the Dhubab district to the Bab al-Mandab area. Earlier, the Yemeni military announced that its forces had seized Dhubab airport, located 45 km (27 miles) to the south, and were besieging Houthi fighters in a nearby town. Houthi-run media denied claims of government advances in Dhubab. The government also stated that operations had begun on other fronts, including the capital Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since the start of the civil war 12 years ago. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led military coalition reported that its fighter jets were providing continuous air support to pro-government forces and had destroyed 324 high-value targets since the offensive began. Turkey and Pakistan, allies of Saudi Arabia, held an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday and agreed to rapidly deploy military forces in Saudi Arabia as part of their Mecca defense pact, according to a joint statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry. Reports from Houthi-run Al Masirah TV indicated that Saudi air strikes resulted in the deaths of a schoolgirl and a woman in the Sanhan and Saawan districts of Sanaa on Monday. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam accused Saudi Arabia of committing numerous massacres and stated that it must bear the consequences. The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Co-ordination Centre warned civilian airlines that Saudi airspace, except for the skies above Mecca and Medina, was no longer safe due to military operations. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the ongoing Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed deep concern over the escalation in fighting. On Sunday, the head of Yemen's internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council announced the start of an offensive named Operation Yemen Dawn, aimed at reclaiming all territory held by the Houthis. Rashad al-Alimi stated that all opportunities for de-escalation had been exhausted and called on all forces to fulfill their missions until the country is liberated from the Houthi movement. This announcement followed reports that the Houthis had cut a mountain road near the southwestern city of Taiz, effectively surrounding government forces and residents. The Houthis also claimed to have launched ballistic missiles and drones at oil facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh and the Khurais area in retaliation for Saudi strikes on their territory. In addition to the attacks on Riyadh's international airport, the Houthis targeted an Aramco oil refinery and Abha airport, according to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree. Satellite imagery from BBC Verify indicated thick smoke rising from the site of a strike at the Aramco Riyadh Refinery and the Khurais Central Processing Facility. Yemen has been in a civil war since 2014, when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa, leading to a Saudi-led coalition intervention in 2015 to restore the government's rule. A four-year informal ceasefire began to deteriorate in July when the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and initiated missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthis claimed these actions were retaliatory for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in their territory and an air strike on Sanaa airport attributed to Saudi Arabia. Last month, the Houthis launched a surprise offensive along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast, quickly ousting pro-government forces from areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, including Mokha, Dhubab, and Perim (Mayyun) Island. They asserted that they posed no threat to international shipping but would continue to target vessels from Saudi Arabia. The seizure of the strait contributed to a surge in global oil prices, as Saudi Arabia had relied on the Red Sea for oil exports following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the US and Israel's conflict with Iran. The Yemeni government's health ministry reported at least 959 fatalities and 5,000 injuries since August 6, while the UN stated that an additional 197,000 people have been displaced.