ADEN — Yemen’s government-aligned Southern Armed Forces are pulling troops from positions near Bab al-Mandab to reinforce Aden, shifting their defensive priorities as Houthi pressure around Taiz strains the campaign along the Red Sea coast.
The command announced Sunday that forces were leaving Dhubab Airport and the Bab al-Mandab area in western Taiz province. It described the move as a redeployment to protect Aden and neighbouring provinces, while promising to continue operations against the Houthis.
The decision comes after an October government offensive retook positions around the strait but failed to push Houthi fighters entirely from nearby coastal areas. The withdrawal changes the position of those forces without resolving the fighting on the surrounding front.
Reuters, reporting through Al-Monitor, described the retreat as a major setback for the Saudi-backed campaign. Yemeni military sources told the agency that troops had repositioned to al-Suqyah, south of Dhubab and about 150 kilometres west of Aden, but were still trying to push Houthi fighters from coastal areas nearby.
The command said the priority was securing Aden and neighbouring governorates, strengthening front lines and responding to existing threats. Reuters reported no immediate response from the Houthis or Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government’s main international ally.
Aden has served as the government’s base since 2015, after the Houthis seized Sanaa. Defending the southern city now competes with the government’s effort to recover territory around the entrance to the Red Sea.
The latest withdrawal follows the Houthi advance around Bab al-Mandab in September. Reuters reported that the subsequent government counteroffensive regained Dhubab but did not retake al-Mocha farther up the coast. Its military sources said Houthi gains around Taiz had undermined the coastal campaign.
Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language report on Sunday covered the announcement and the command’s account of the threats to Aden. The video concerns the redeployment; it is not independent confirmation of every position held by the opposing forces.
The Southern Armed Forces said efforts to lift the Houthi siege of Taiz would continue with support from the Saudi-led coalition. Arab News reported that government military spokesman Majed Al-Nuzaili welcomed the move and described defending Aden and relieving Taiz as linked responsibilities.
Al-Nuzaili said southern and southwestern forces had been repositioned following assessments of threats and operational priorities. He also called for international support to secure Bab al-Mandab, citing the passage’s importance for shipping and trade.
Those statements set out the government side’s objectives, not evidence that the siege has been lifted or that the coastal campaign has succeeded. Reuters reported that fighting around Taiz was intensifying and humanitarian conditions were worsening, with civilians unable to leave and aid supplies unable to enter.
The military pressure extends beyond the immediate coastal positions. Reuters reported that Houthi fighters in the highlands south of Taiz were near Tur al-Bahah district in Lahj province, about 80 kilometres from Aden. The agency attributed its account of the battlefield situation to Yemeni military sources.
The wider campaign has also included Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. Earlier Eastern Herald coverage examined Saudi missile interceptions around Riyadh; those attacks are separate incidents from Sunday’s troop withdrawal.
Bab al-Mandab links the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Its position on the route through the Suez Canal makes nearby fighting significant for maritime navigation as well as the struggle for territory inside Yemen.
The command’s statement, as reproduced by Reuters, did not give a troop total or a timetable for completing the move. Its promise to continue fighting around Taiz leaves unresolved how forces will be divided between defending Aden and regaining the coastal positions they are leaving.
