Houthis report striking coalition forces near Bab el-Mandeb Strait with 10 missiles
Quick Look
Yemen's Houthi rebels said they repelled a Saudi-led coalition offensive in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait area and fired ten missiles at enemy positions, while government forces reported advances in Taiz and Dhubab district as part of Operation 'Dawn of Yemen'.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The armed confrontation between Saudi-backed government forces and Houthi rebels has been ongoing in Yemen since August 2014, with deteriorating conditions this summer including a Houthi maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and attacks on oil tankers in July, followed by an Houthi offensive in early August that took control of Mokha and territories along the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
DOHA, October 6. /TASS/. Yemen’s rebel Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement said it had repelled an offensive by the Saudi-led coalition in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait area, and fired ten missiles toward the enemy’s positions.
"Our armed forces <…> have successfully repelled several of the Saudi enemy’s attempts to advance toward Bab el-Mandeb, forcing it to retreat," the movement’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.
He added that Houthi groups made the coalition’s forces pull back as they were trying to advance southwest of the Al Wazi'iyah District district.
At the same time, the Yemeni government said its troops were successfully advancing and delivering strikes on Houthi targets.
"The battle for restoring the country continues as our forces move forward," Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Majid al-Nuzaili said in a statement.
In his words, the armed forces continue to strike Houthi supply lines and military facilities as part of its Operation ‘Dawn of Yemen.’ The spokesman also reiterated the call made to the Houthis by President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi to lay down their weapons in exchange for amnesty and security guarantees.
The armed confrontation between Saudi-backed government forces and Houthi rebels has been continuing in Yemen since August 2014. The situation deteriorated dramatically this summer. In July, Ansar Allah announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and attacked several of its oil tankers. In early August, the Houthis launched an offensive in the country's southwest, taking control of the port city of Mokha and territories along the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in western Yemen on September 10-11. Government forces mounted several counterattacks near the strait in the following days.
Over the past few days, fighting intensified near the strategically important city of Taiz. On October 4, Yemeni troops began a large-scale military operation to regain control of the country. The country’s armed forces announced regaining control over the Dhubab district on the following day.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Government forces will continue Operation 'Dawn of Yemen' to regain control of additional territories in western Yemen.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the outcome of the ten missiles fired by the Houthis toward enemy positions?
- Did the Saudi-led coalition suffer any casualties or material losses in the repelled offensive?
- What is the current status of government forces' advance in Taiz following the reported regaining of Dhubab district?
