Houthis Ground Assault Near Bab El-Mandeb Kills At Least 81, Clashes With Yemen Government Forces

Fighting intensified between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Yemeni government forces after the Houthis launched a ground assault along with rocket and drone attacks near coastal areas on Thursday, as they pushed toward territory bordering the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the Red Sea’s southern entrance.

“Clashes between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces have killed 81”

CNA

CNA reported that clashes between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces killed 81, with military and medical sources saying the fighting erupted on Thursday and that a military official on the coast said 24 of his men had been killed.

Al Jazeera

Kurdistan24 said the Houthi advance toward Bab al-Mandab left at least 129 people dead, with an AFP tally compiled from military and medical sources and the toll rising sharply on Friday from an earlier count of 81.

France 24 said the violence left more than 500 dead since Thursday, September 3, breaking a ceasefire in place since 2022, and described the Houthis’ objective as controlling the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

In the same escalation, El Tiempo said the renewed outbreak of violence left more than 500 dead and reported that the International Organization for Migration said 18,500 civilians fled their homes in just 72 hours on the country’s western coast.

As pro-government forces began a counteroffensive, Yemen’s Deputy Defence Minister Major General Samir al-Sabri told state television the government had decided to “retake Sanaa,” while Majid al-Nuzaili said the campaign would “liberate Yemen from the grip” of the Ansar Allah group.

Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia-backed government forces targeted Houthi positions with rocket and drone strikes as “intensive battles” were ongoing with ground troops in Taiz, Bayda, and Jawf, and it said Riyadh condemned the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and said it would respond.

Al Jazeera

France 24 quoted Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarei accusing Riyadh’s forces of carrying out “121 airstrikes in three days” in Jawf, Al-Bayda, Marib, and Taiz, while the Saudi army had not yet claimed responsibility for the offensive.

In the same regional framing, Middle East Eye said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan described the Houthis’ actions as “selfishness” and said, “The road to diplomacy is not closed.”

Kurdistan24 added that the renewed battles began a day earlier as the Houthis pushed toward positions overlooking approaches to Bab al-Mandab, and it said the fighting centered on parts of Taiz province including mountainous terrain overlooking supply routes between Taiz and the government-held port of Mokha.

Multiple outlets tied the renewed fighting to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, with CNA saying the Houthis’ offensive aimed to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha and advance toward areas bordering Bab el-Mandeb.

“annual ship transits through the Suez Canal fell from about 26,000 in 2023”

Kurdistan24

Kurdistan24 said Bab al-Mandab connects the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and forms part of the shortest major maritime route between Asia and Europe through Egypt’s Suez Canal, warning that serious disruption would force vessels to sail around southern Africa.

Kurdistan24 also reported that annual ship transits through the Suez Canal fell from about 26,000 in 2023 to roughly 12,700 in 2025 after repeated Houthi attacks forced many operators to avoid the Red Sea route.

El Tiempo said the offensive raises concerns for migrants crossing Yemen and reported that IOM warned some families are trapped on roads while humanitarian aid access is reduced and casualties from attacks increase.

In parallel, CNA said the government has sent reinforcements to Taiz from Aden on Saudi orders, and it described the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint as gaining increased importance as Iran’s closure of Hormuz shifted oil transit toward the Red Sea route.