Yemeni government forces launch major offensive to retake Houthi-held territory

Yemeni government forces were fighting Houthis on and near the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime traffic waterway.

In a Sky News Exclusive aired on Sunday, footage showed armed Yemeni government forces nearby the Bab el Mandeb Strait. Houthis fighters were also nearby the area, according to Sky News correspondents.

"What's happening now is different to our previous wars with the Houthis," said Tafiq Al-Haboun, Commander of Larj National Security Forces, adding that it was much more advanced.

"They have superior weapons like drones, Kornets and long-range ballistic missiles. All of these weapons are only just now being used. We haven't seen this before," Al-Haboun said.

Yemen's internationally recognized government says it has launched a major military operation against Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Renewed violence in Yemen has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.

The Houthis captured the strategic city of Mokha and a number of Red Sea islands last month, extending their reach to the key maritime waterway of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

It was the Houthis’ biggest land grab in years and ended a 2022 ceasefire that largely stopped major fighting in Yemen’s 12-year civil war.

The Houthis have launched a major offensive in recent days against government forces and their allies on the outskirts of Taiz, disrupting a major road linking the city to the port city of Aden, the seat of the internationally recognised government led by Rashad al-Alimi. The rebels have besieged Taiz for more than a decade.