Yemen's Houthis have advanced to within 80 km of Aden, the temporary capital of the internationally recognised government, according to four military sources. The offensive adds a volatile new front to the wider US-Israeli war on Iran and threatens the main road linking Aden with Taiz.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have advanced to within 80 km (50 miles) of Aden, the main stronghold of the country's internationally recognised government, four military sources told Reuters on Monday. The advance brings the group closer to the city than at any point since the early months of the war in 2015, when they briefly entered it before being driven out.
The offensive has opened a volatile new front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran and drawn both the Houthis and Saudi Arabia deeper into the regional conflict. The Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi-led coalition has stepped up strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.
Fighting reaches the approaches to Aden
Fighting was underway on Monday at a military camp at the entrance to Tur al-Bahah district, about 80 km from Aden, the sources said. The Houthis launched their assault on government positions in Al-Maqatirah three days ago and have since taken the whole district. Government troops retreated toward Tur al-Bahah.
The push threatens strategic positions along the main road between Aden and Taiz. Houthi attacks on Aden have also intensified in recent weeks: the group struck Aden airport on Wednesday after warning people to evacuate, and the presidential palace was hit in October.
A broader offensive since September
The latest push follows an offensive that began in September, when the Houthis swept down Yemen's Red Sea coast and seized territory along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key route for Saudi oil exports to Asia. The sources said the new advance gives the Houthis a chance to outflank government forces along the mountain range overlooking the strait.
Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, has been encircled since early October, when the Houthis cut its main road south to Aden. The siege has displaced more than 100,000 people and caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
Yemen's information minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: Reuters via Investing.com
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