Yemeni government forces have advanced against Houthi fighters around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, though the waterway remains contested. According to military sources and the Houthis, antigovernment forces control Mayyoun Island amid an escalating offensive backed by Saudi Arabia and a wave of deadly cross-border strikes.
Government forces brought antigovernment fighters into the Bab el-Mandeb zone in early September, according to military sources from the government camp cited by Agence France-Presse on Saturday, Oct. 10. The strategic strait links Europe to Asia via the Suez Canal and has gained importance due to Iran locking down the Strait of Hormuz.
Government Forces Fight for Mayyoun Island
Military sources acknowledge they have not yet secured the maritime corridor despite making ground in the area, while antigovernment fighters continue to hold Mayyoun Island, located at the heart of the passage.
Hizam al-Asad stated that our forces maintain control over Bab el-Mandeb, Mayyoun Island, and the other areas along the country's western coastline.
Hizam al-Asad added that the Saudi enemy bears full responsibility for the repercussions of its escalation in Bab al-Mandeb regarding the security of international navigation
. On Telegram, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree asserted that antigovernment fighters had repulsed allied troops trying to advance from Lahj toward Bab el-Mandeb without making progress.
Coalition Launches Western Airstrikes
Turki al-Maliki stated on X that 136 military targets had been destroyed as the Saudi-led progovernment coalition announced an operation against the Houthis. The coalition is working to dismantle the Houthi ballistic missile network and provides round-the-clock air support to Yemeni armed forces. Meanwhile, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Massirah channel reported Saudi missile attacks in Saada province in the country’s northwest.
Clashes in western Yemen caused at least 63 deaths over a 24-hour period, comprising 35 members of government forces and 28 Houthi fighters. Combined tolls from both camps indicate that ground combat has killed nearly 500 people since Monday.
Riyadh Airport Hit by Strikes
Hostilities between the Houthis and Riyadh resumed in July following an accalmie and escalated sharply in September. Houthi strikes against Saudi territory hit the capital on Thursday, killing three Saudi nationals at the airport. A diplomatic source cited by AFP reported that a missile strike on Saturday at the Riyadh international airport injured dozens of people, leaving at least five Saudi nationals in intensive care.
Medical sources transported some injured individuals by helicopter while authorities evacuated the airport and urged passengers to check their flight statuses. While the Houthis claimed several recent attacks against the airport, they did not immediately claim responsibility for the Saturday strike. Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rassamny condemned the attacks on Saudi airports and reaffirmed Beirut’s support for Riyad.
The coalition declared overnight that it was executing a large-scale campaign against the armed movement, while a media outlet linked to the pro-Iranian fighters also reported bombardments striking the northwestern territory of the country. Turki al-Maliki stated on social media that the coalition forces remain actively engaged in dismantling the ballistic missile inventory controlled by the fighters, building on a campaign that saw 136 military targets destroyed.