Clips attributed to “Houthi deployment and government forces’ withdrawal on the Bab al-Mandab axes.” What is their truth?

Social media accounts circulated video clips attributed to the withdrawal of forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government from the fighting axes with the Houthi group in the Bab al-Mandab area.

The circulating footage received tens of thousands of views on the X and Facebook platforms, prompted by a description that said: “Urgent now... major withdrawals from several axes in Bab al-Mandab towards Aden without firing a single shot.”

Publications claimed that the footage was linked to "dangerous developments in Ras al-Ara and Bab al-Mandab, talking about three brigades surrendering themselves to the Houthis along with all their military equipment. Are we facing a dangerous military development that raises questions that cannot be escaped? Who is responsible for this collapse? And who brought the forces to this end?"

One of these clips was filmed at night from a moving vehicle, and showed a convoy of vehicles carrying a number of people.

A reverse search showed that there was a version of the video posted on Facebook on September 10, 2026.

The video was accompanied by a description saying: “The pro-Saudi forces are now withdrawing from Mocha.”

CNN Arabic was unable to confirm the context and identity of the people who appeared during the video. However, his appearance on social networks at that time coincided with the Houthis taking control of the strategic city of Mocha on the Red Sea coast.

While commentators on social media indicated that the previous video was taken within the city of Al-Khokha, located between the cities of Mokha and Al-Hudaydah.

Another clip was circulated showing a convoy of military vehicles parked in a dusty area, with claims that the scenes were of “mass escape and military defeat on the front lines” on the Bab al-Mandab fronts.

While it turned out that the video was old, a copy of it was available on the X website on January 3, 2026. The description of the video at the time said: “Scenes of convoys of the Homeland Shield Forces that arrived in the Al-Adwas area in the Gail Bawazir District, coming from the Al-Abr area in Hadramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen.”

A post, containing another video, claimed that the Houthi group had sent combat crews from its “death battalions” towards Bab al-Mandab.

In contrast, reverse search results for the video showed that it appeared on a Libyan news account on the X platform on February 28.

The circulation of these clips with misleading narratives comes amid military confrontations in Lahj Governorate, especially in the areas of Al-Baha, Al-Mudaraba and Ras Al-Ara, where the strategic supply lines and vital corridors leading to Aden and the coastal fronts are located.

The circle of conflict in Yemen has expanded since last July, with the return of escalation between the Houthis, who are supported by Iran, and the Yemeni government forces, which enjoy Saudi support.