Yemen's internationally recognized government launched a sweeping offensive Monday aimed at retaking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints. President Rashad al-Alimi announced the campaign, dubbed "Dawn of Yemen," on Oct. 4, and ground forces advanced Monday near the strait and the Dhubab district, with reports of troops seizing the Dhubab airstrip — gains that Houthi-aligned media deny.
The Saudi-led coalition said 100 fighter jets are providing round-the-clock air support and claimed 324 "high-value" targets destroyed, along with 1,122 strikes and 1,747 Ansarallah fighters "neutralized" across Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and the western coast. The casualty and strike figures have not been independently verified. Reuters reported that up to 100,000 troops are expected to take part in the offensive, with Saudi jets flying air operations, Yemeni forces on the ground, and the United States providing intelligence support.
The offensive answers the Houthis' seizure of the strait and roughly 150 km of Red Sea coastline last month. In response, the Houthis claimed Sunday that they had launched missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Khurais.
The strait's importance has only grown amid disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.N. food agency has warned of intensified displacement and hunger as fighting escalates in conflict zones.
