Houthis push to seize key strategic mountains overlooking Bab el-Mandeb

Ansar Allah has launched fresh assaults on pro-Saudi forces across the mountains of Lahj’s Al-Madaribah wa Ra’as Al-Arah district, seeking to capture three interconnected heights overlooking the strait’s inland approaches. On September 29, clashes intensified around Al-Aghbara Mountain as the Houthis sought to sever key supply routes linking Saudi-backed positions in Lahj and Taiz, Arab News reports.


Hostilities around Kahboub Mountain are also continuing. Control of the area could allow Ansar Allah to consolidate its gains along the Red Sea coast and threaten roads leading toward Aden, where the Saudi-backed Yemeni administration is based. Kahboub has emerged as a key Houthi target since the group solidified control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on September 10. The mountain commands the strait, the coastal city of Dhubab and Perim Island.


Jabal Naman is another strategically vital mountain on the Lahj-Taiz border that the Houthis are seeking to seize and hold.


Ansar Allah is also reinforcing its military in apparent preparation for another major offensive on Taiz, a pro-Saudi officer told the publication, describing the Houthi buildup – including tanks, other military equipment and missiles – as “massive.”