Bab al-Mandab: Yemen says Houthis plan coast grab

Yemen’s government has warned that Houthi rebels are planning to seize land along the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route at the entrance to the Red Sea.

Information minister Moammar al-Eryani said the Houthis were “working to create the conditions” to control the strait by expanding along Yemen’s western coast and trying to control strategic Red Sea islands.

Three Houthi military sources told AFP that the group was preparing an operation to seize areas south of Hodeida. They said about 2,000 fighters had been deployed to front lines in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeida, along with rocket launchers.

Major-General Sadeq Duwaid, spokesman for the government-affiliated National Resistance Forces that control areas bordering the strait, said the Houthis were trying to secure a foothold in Bab al-Mandab through attacks on Mokha and its port.

The Houthis do not currently control coastal areas directly on the strait, but they hold the port city of Hodeida to the north and have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea. In recent weeks, they have also targeted Mokha, military sites near the strait and government-controlled Red Sea islands.