Yemeni government forces claimed on Monday, October 5, 2026, to have seized large parts of the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb strait, in the second day of the "Dawn of Yemen" offensive aimed at retaking Houthi-held territory. Houthi-aligned media denied the government had made any advances — and neither side's claims have been independently verified.
What happened?
Three military sources and one government source told Reuters that Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces seized key positions on the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Monday and were asserting full control over the area with heavy air support from the Saudi-led coalition. Military spokesman Majid al-Nuzaili claimed on X that government forces had "succeeded in controlling Bab al-Mandeb" and had cut the road between Dhubab district and the port town of Mocha. Saudi coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were providing support and that 324 Houthi targets had been destroyed.
Houthi-aligned media had earlier denied government forces made advances in the area. A Houthi-run news agency separately claimed on Monday that the group had driven government forces from the al-Mawasit district of Taiz province — a claim that could not be independently verified either.
Why is the strait the center of the fight?
The offensive follows last month's Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast, when the group seized the strategic port city of Mocha and several Red Sea islands, gaining control of the Yemeni side of the strait. The Houthis also captured the town of Turbah on Sunday — a key government post on the Taiz–Aden road — hours before President Rashad al-Alimi announced the new offensive, which aims to "liberate" the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.
Bab el-Mandeb is a vital Red Sea chokepoint through which roughly 12% of global trade transits. With Gulf energy exports already restricted by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, fighting around Bab el-Mandeb threatens a second critical oil export route. Separately, the Houthi-run maritime coordination body warned airlines on Monday against flying in Saudi airspace, calling it "unsafe" while Saudi "aggression" continues — a sign of the escalation spreading beyond the battlefield.
What is the humanitarian toll so far?
The renewed fighting has displaced more than 145,000 people inside Yemen, according to the UN migration agency, with more than 3,000 others fleeing across the water to Djibouti. At least 959 people have been killed and more than 4,200 wounded in the latest bout of violence, according to the World Health Organization, cited by the AP. The WFP said it had reached over 70,000 people in displacement hotspots and was preparing to support up to 1.5 million if needs rise — but warned food stocks were depleting rapidly.
