Daijiworld Media Network - Aden
Aden (Yemen), Sep 11: Yemen's Houthi group seized strategic Mayun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Friday after government troops withdrew, a local government official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Houthi forces arrived on the island early Friday aboard several boats and took control without military resistance. The group also deployed armoured vehicles and other military equipment along the nearby coast, he said.
Houthi forces have also advanced into Dhubab district near the strait after government troops withdrew southward following the Houthis' capture of the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday, the official said.
Mayun, also known as Perim, is located inside the Bab al-Mandab and divides the narrow waterway into two shipping channels. Its capture, following the Houthis' recent advances along Yemen's western coast, gives the group control of key positions overlooking the vital maritime trade route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The Houthis captured Mocha after fierce fighting, taking control of its strategic port, airport and key government facilities. They have made rapid territorial gains along Yemen's western coast since launching a major offensive last week.
The Bab al-Mandab, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, is a critical corridor for international trade and energy shipments, connecting the Red Sea and the Suez Canal with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Thursday warned that the renewed conflict risks dragging Yemen into a wider and unresolved regional confrontation with global repercussions.
Over the previous 24 hours, fighting had intensified across multiple front lines in Yemen, particularly along the strategic western coast. The Houthis launched a major offensive that included an assault on Mocha, the port city located roughly 75 km from Bab al-Mandab.
Grundberg told the UN Security Council that Mocha's capture gave the Houthis a direct presence on the approaches to one of the world's most vital maritime straits, raising serious concerns over freedom of navigation.
“As of right now, they have gained control of Mokha, giving them a direct presence on the approaches to one of the world's most vital straits, although fighting is ongoing and the situation remains fluid,” he said via video link.
The renewed conflict effectively marks the end of the relative calm Yemen had experienced for more than four years following a UN-brokered truce.
Grundberg warned that the escalation could plunge Yemen into a prolonged and expanding war while also drawing the country into the wider unresolved regional confrontation, with potential global repercussions.