Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retake areas around Bab el-Mandeb Strait, officials say
In short
Forces of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen recaptured several areas around Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthi rebels, Yemeni officials said Monday, including the town of Dhubab just north of the strait and the towns of Bab and Hadeid. The push was part of a major offensive launched early Monday under Saudi air cover, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saudi Arabia has a right to defend itself. Officials speaking anonymously said U.S. support included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning.
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Forces of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen recaptured several key areas around Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Houthi rebels, Yemeni officials said Monday. Officials said forces allied with the internationally recognized government had retaken the area from the Iran-backed rebels. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The officials said the forces retook the crucial town of Dhubab just north of the strait, and also captured the towns of Bab and Hadeid. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. Witnesses said they saw government tanks and forces entering the towns. The government push came as part of a major offensive launched early Monday under air cover by a Saudi military coalition. [ 3 ]
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters it was expected that the Saudi-backed government in Yemen would hit back at the rebels to reclaim territory. Asked whether the Saudi-led coalition coordinated the action with the United States, Rubio said Saudi Arabia and the United States have a defense agreement but would not offer more details. The Yemeni government was ousted from some of its territory by a Houthi campaign and the Saudis have come under attack, and “they have a right to defend themselves,” Rubio said. [ 3 ]
The United States has provided support to Saudi Arabia in its campaign against the Houthis, according to a regional official and a U.S. official. That support included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the offensive, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. The United States had supported the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis early in the Yemen war, before quitting the coalition in recent years. [ 3 ]
The offensive came just after the rebels said they had captured more territory in the southwestern part of Yemen, taking a key town in a blow to the Saudi-backed forces as they advanced toward a strategic provincial capital in the region. The AP report ends as it names the Saudi-led coalition spokesman, with no further statement available. Other outlets reported the recapture only at headline level. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
Bab el-Mandeb is a key strait, and the documents describe the recaptured town of Dhubab as crucial, so control of the area around it is treated as significant by the outlets reporting. The offensive also draws in the United States, which officials said provided intelligence, targeting and planning support, and Rubio cited a U.S.-Saudi defense agreement. The Yemeni government, described as internationally recognized, is trying to reclaim territory it lost to the Houthis.
Key facts
- Forces of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen recaptured several key areas around Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Houthi rebels, Yemeni officials said Monday. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The officials said forces allied with the internationally recognized government retook the town of Dhubab just north of the strait and captured the towns of Bab and Hadeid. [ 3 ]
- The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, and witnesses said they saw government tanks and forces entering the towns. [ 3 ]
- The government push was part of a major offensive launched early Monday under air cover by a Saudi military coalition. [ 3 ]
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saudi Arabia and the United States have a defense agreement but would not offer more details, and said the Saudis “have a right to defend themselves.” [ 3 ]
- A regional official and a U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said U.S. support for the campaign included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the offensive. [ 3 ]
- The offensive came just after the rebels said they had captured more territory in southwestern Yemen, taking a key town as they advanced toward a strategic provincial capital. [ 3 ]
- The United States had supported the Saudi-led coalition early in the Yemen war before quitting the coalition in recent years. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the Saudi-led coalition coordinated the offensive with the United States. Rubio said the two countries have a defense agreement but would not offer more details, so the extent of coordination is not stated.
- How much territory beyond Dhubab, Bab and Hadeid was retaken, and what casualties or damage occurred. Only the three towns are named, and the documents give no casualty or damage figures.
- What the Saudi-led coalition said about the offensive. The AP report in document 3 ends mid-sentence with the coalition spokesman, and the other documents are headlines only.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- AP reports that Saudi-backed Yemeni forces expelled the Houthis from several areas around a key strait, according to officials. [ 1 ]
- AP publishes a Spanish-language report on the same recapture around the strait. [ 2 ]
- PBS NewsHour carries the AP dispatch naming Dhubab, Bab and Hadeid and reporting U.S. support and Rubio’s comments. [ 3 ]
- Reuters reports that Yemeni government forces drove the Houthis from Bab el-Mandeb Strait. [ 4 ]