Yemen’s government claims Mocha and Bab el-Mandeb gains as fighting widens
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces say they have retaken key positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the port city of Mocha, with Saudi air support; the Houthis deny the claims, which Reuters and Al Jazeera could not independently verify. The contested waterway is a vital route for global trade and energy supplies, while fighting near Taiz and reported Houthi strikes on Saudi sites point to a wider escalation.
Bottom line — Control of Bab el-Mandeb remains disputed, and the UN migration agency says 184,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed.
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Reuters reports that government forces reached Mocha’s outskirts; Yemen’s Defence Ministry said the city had fallen, while the Houthis said they were in its streets.
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Saudi coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said 100 fighter jets were supporting the campaign and the coalition had struck hundreds of targets.
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Reuters says Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi airports, military sites and an Aramco refinery could not be immediately verified.
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Government military sources told Reuters that Houthi advances near Taiz had cut sections of a mountain road; one government source disputed that account.
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Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed to rapidly deploy forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia under their mutual defence pact, according to a joint statement.
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The Houthis deny the reported government gains; Al Jazeera and Reuters said they could not independently confirm the battlefield claims.