Yemeni government forces redeploy from Bab al-Mandeb to defend Aden

Forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognised government say they are withdrawing from territory near the Bab al-Mandeb strait to focus on defending the interim capital, Aden, from the Houthi armed group.

A spokesman for the Southern Armed Forces, a group allied with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, said on Sunday that it was redeploying from Dhubab airport and areas around Bab al-Mandeb in southwestern Yemen.

“This step is 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 spokesman said.

The announcement raises the prospect of new Houthi advances towards Aden on the southern coast, the base of the internationally recognised government since the Houthis drove leaders from the capital Sanaa more than a decade ago.

Reinforcements would also be sent to try to end the Houthis’ siege of Taiz, where fighting has been raging to the west of the city, the announcement added.

Humanitarian conditions are worsening in Yemen’s third-largest city, with aid supplies blocked from entering and civilians unable to leave.

The city hosts about half of the 300,000 people displaced across Yemen since the 2022 ceasefire collapsed this summer and fighting surged. The Houthi armed group, also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God), seized large areas of territory along Yemen’s western coast in September.

Sunday’s announcement could signal a setback for the Yemeni government forces’ counteroffensive launched in September to reclaim areas seized by Houthi fighters.

The counteroffensive quickly recaptured key positions around the strait, notably Dhubab, but failed to push the Houthis out of the key city of Mocha and other areas near the coast.

The Houthis responded by intensifying drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, grounding flights and targeting energy facilities.

Earlier on Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition said it shot down two drones launched over the Mecca region. The Houthis have not commented on the alleged attack.

Houthi forces also captured highland areas north of Aden, where the government has been operating since 2015, and say they are preparing to advance on the city itself.

A spokesman for the Yemeni government forces, Majid Al-Nazili, called on the international community to help return Bab al-Mandeb and Yemen’s west coast to government control, stressing that the strait was of vital importance for freedom of maritime navigation and international trade.

Also on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced that the Houthis, with its support, unilaterally released 600 prisoners “in connection with the armed conflict”.