Yemeni forces have retaken the town of Dhubab and other key positions close to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait from the Houthis, according to Al Jazeera. The reported gains, published on Monday, place government-aligned forces along the strategic waterway that separates Yemen from the Horn of Africa.
Reuters also reported that Yemeni government forces had advanced to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, matching Al Jazeera's account of movement toward the chokepoint. Al Jazeera further reported that Yemen's army announced an operation to retake Sanaa, the capital held by the Houthis.
The wider conflict appears to be spreading. Dawn reported that strikes have unsettled both Sanaa and Riyadh, while the BBC reported that the Yemeni government announced a major operation aimed at recovering Houthi-held territory. Al Jazeera's coverage framed the announcement as part of a live account of an Iran war.
Details on the scale of the advance, the forces involved and casualty figures were not available in the reporting summarized here, and none have been independently confirmed beyond what those outlets stated.
What to watch next: whether government forces hold the ground near Bab al-Mandeb and whether the announced push toward Sanaa materializes.
