Yemeni army retreats before Houthis:Govt abandons key area near Bab al-Mandeb Strait; seeks help to drive rebels back

Government forces in Yemen are losing ground to the Houthi rebels. According to Reuters, the army withdrew its units on Sunday from the area near Dhubab Airport. The area is very close to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and had been used for military activities. The troops are being moved towards Aden and the southern areas around it. The move has been made to protect Aden and neighbouring areas. The Houthis now control the area. The Yemeni government has sought help from other countries to drive the Houthis out. Call to liberate Bab al-Mandeb from the Houthis Colonel Majid al-Nujaili, spokesperson for the army of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has appealed to other countries for help. He said on the social media platform X that liberating Bab al-Mandeb and Yemen’s western coast from the Houthis is the right of the Yemeni army. Praising the southern forces, he said they were securing the interim capital, Aden, and surrounding areas. They were also trying to end the siege of Taiz city. Al-Nujaili said freeing Taiz from the Houthis’ siege was a major responsibility for the country. Key location under Houthi control Saudi Arabia launched the war against the Houthis in 2015 In 2014, Houthi rebels seized control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. This led to a civil war in the country. As a result, then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was forced to leave the country. The political crisis deepened in Yemen, and no single government was left in control of the country. The situation increased concern in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. It feared that the influence of the Houthis, who were backed by Iran, could extend to its border. In 2015, Saudi Arabia formed a military coalition with several Arab countries and launched air strikes against the Houthis. The coalition’s objective was to restore Hadi’s government to power. However, even after nearly eight years of fighting, the Houthis could not be defeated. Saudi Arabia then chose negotiations instead of military action and began direct contact with Houthi leaders. The Houthis currently control large parts of northern Yemen. Meanwhile, the internationally recognised government has influence in some areas of southern Yemen. The government is heavily dependent on Saudi Arabia for economic and military assistance.